


Fortunes Fool

by obiwansbeard



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Depression, F/F, Minor Character Death, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-21 04:09:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11936013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obiwansbeard/pseuds/obiwansbeard
Summary: After watching every available season of Orange is the New Black on Netflix before she got sent down, Emma had formulated what she thought to be an 'accurate depiction' of prison life; this included untrained and abusive prison guards, 'slop' for every meal of the day, scratchy bed sheets, and a hell of a lot of lesbians.WARNING: Mentions of unplanned pregnancy, miscarriage, and severe depression.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DitchingNarnia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DitchingNarnia/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of it's characters.
> 
> Some thank-you's etc here, so a long-ish note to start with:
> 
> First of all, thank you to the wonderful admins of the Swan Queen Supernova, who have kindly let me take part in this wonderful event again this year. You guys are awesome. Hopefully, I'll be back next year!
> 
> Next, I'd like to thank my amazing beta Abbey! You've been amazing to me, and I've enjoyed talking with you over these past few months. You've helped me so much, and if it wasn't for your constant encouragement, I would've never finished this story on time. Thank you so much, Abbey!
> 
> Next, my lovely artist [DitchingNarnia](http://archiveofourown.org/users/DitchingNarnia/pseuds/DitchingNarnia)! You've been very supportive and amazing all round, and I've loved talking to you. You seem like a really nice person, and I'd love to work with you again sometime. I appreciate everything you've done for me, and the beautiful artwork that you've produced to accompany this story.
> 
> And lastly, I'd like to thank YOU! Yes, all of you people reading this right now, thank you! You've all been so supportive and encouraging towards me over the years, and all of your positive reviews and comments make me feel so loved and special. I hope that you all like this story, and leave some nice comments and reviews for me. Constructive criticism is welcome!
> 
> Please go and check out the accompanying artwork for this story [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11937495/chapters/26984889)!

** WARNING: MENTIONS OF MISCARRIAGE AND SEVERE DEPRESSION. **

 

After watching every available season of Orange is the New Black on Netflix before she got sent down, Emma had formulated what she thought to be an 'accurate depiction' of prison life; this included untrained and abusive prison guards, 'slop' for every meal of the day, scratchy bed sheets, and a hell of a lot of lesbians. But, in fact, Emma discovered that prison greatly differed from her initial thoughts. 

 

Overall, the prison atmosphere was friendly and quite welcoming (you're probably thinking a prison, welcoming? never!), but yes, the women of this particular institution were quite welcoming of Emma. Also, the guards were all female, the nice type who would stop you and take the time to ask how you were and how your day had been, and the food served to the prisoners was actually of pretty good quality. 

 

(Later, Emma Swan would recall these 'prison meals' to be some of the best meals that she had ever been served; excluding Regina's amazing cooking, of course.) 

 

Perhaps the most surprising factor of all, most of the women that Emma had encountered whilst in prison were not actually lesbians. Most told her enthralling tales about their boyfriends and husbands, expressing their eternal love for them and their desperation to get out of prison and make a life with their other halves. If she had to crunch some figures, Emma would estimate that about 60% of the women inside of Massachusetts Correctional Institution identified as heterosexual, whereas 30% were bisexual, and only 10% were actually lesbians (including Emma herself). 

 

The first person Emma had confided in about her sexuality had been the prison councilor, Dr. Archibald 'Archie' Hopper. She was wary of him at first, but soon began to trust him after she learnt his intentions were good. Over the years, she had had a few problems regarding her sexual orientation, namely bullying at school and just general social stigma surrounding the prospect of homosexuality. This had a huge effect on Emma's mental health, which she only realized when she first arrived in prison, when she finally had sometime to think. And so, Emma had begun to undertake regular counseling and relaxation sessions with Archie. This is when he had first suggested the idea of Emma becoming apart of the prison pen pal program.

 

"It will be very beneficial for you, Emma." He had told her. "You need a friend, someone who you can confide in other than me."

 

Emma had taken some persuading, but had eventually agreed to it. Years on, she still remembered the very first time she sat down in the prison library, at the desk in the top right corner of the room, and began writing the first letter of many to her new pen pal.

 

_Dear pen pal..._

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Regina Mills sat in her mayoral office looking over reports from the local newspaper, _The Storybrooke Fairy tale_. And yet, at this very moment in time, Storybrooke was most certainly _not_ a fairy tale.

 

“Regina,” Sidney Glass, the lead writer and investigator of the newspaper in question, continued on with his rant (of which, he had been occupied with for nearly 15 minutes now). “You and I both know that the newspaper sales have been declining as of recently, rather drastically might I add, and we need to do something about it.”

 

“Well, Mr Glass,” Regina rose from her seat, regarding him coldly. “What would you suggest we do about it?”

 

“Now that you mention it, Regina. I think I do have an idea.”

 

“Well?” Regina spoke sharply. “I’m waiting,”

 

“Have you ever considered joining the Prison Pen-Pal Program?” Sidney asked, taking a seat opposite Regina. “Think of the headlines, just imagine: Mayor Regina showing her support for our justice system. It’s brilliant! The readers will love it, I promise you that.”

 

Regina sighed, lowering herself back into her chair. “Are you absolutely sure this will help the Gazette gain more readers?”

 

“Positive. 100 per cent.” Sidney replied, pulling a rather crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and handing it to Regina. “Contact this address, they will supply you with all the information you need.”

 

Regina took the item and placed it in her desk drawer. “Thank you very much, Mr Glass. You may go now.”

 

After Sidney’s departure, Regina placed her head in her hands. God, she hoped it was worth it.

 

* * *

 

Two days later, Regina had contacted Massachusetts Correctional Institution, as Sidney had instructed on the slip of paper, and had received a reply from them, reading:

 

_Dear Madam,_

_We are writing to inform you of your acceptance into the Massachusetts Prison Pen-Pal program. We sincerely hope that you will enjoy your experience with us._

Regina scoffed in the silence of her study; not likely.

 

_Your new pen pal will be in touch with you shortly, via a handwritten letter._

_Regards,_

_Massachusetts Correctional Institution._

Regina received the letter later that very same day.

 

* * *

 

Entering her living room, Regina sat down on her expensive leather Italia and slowly ripped open the envelope containing the letter from her pen pal.

 

_Dear pen pal,_

_My name is Emma Swan, a.k.a Prisoner 23372, at Massachusetts Correctional Institution. I am 18 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, and have long blonde hair._

_I am a part of this program because Dr. Hopper, my councillor, suggested that it might help to improve, well…me. I don’t have many friends here, so he thought it would help if I had someone to talk to. So I guess I’m just going to tell you more about myself now._

_So, I’m a foster kid. There’s not much to it really, just that my parents left me by the roadside when I was a week old. I was found by a boy, August, who took me to a local diner. I’ve been in the foster care system ever since. Eventually though, I had enough and ran away aged 15. I’ve been living in Boston, as of a few years ago._

_Obviously, I’m in prison now. If you’re wondering what for, basically my dumbass boyfriend got me pregnant, stole some watches and let me take the fall for it all. Now, here I am sitting in the corner of the prison library writing this letter._

_I hope you are nice, at least, and that you aren’t some sex-obsessed jackass who wants to ‘take advantage’ of me, or whatever. After all, I can greatly assure you that I’ve already been fucked over by almost everyone I’ve ever met. Hopefully, you’re different._

_From,_

_Emma Swan_

Well, Regina thought, this one certainly seems very ‘troubled’. Ran away at 15? Pregnant and imprisoned at 18? And Regina thought her life had been a misery. In comparison to Emma’s, her life had been a dream. It just shows how much she took everything she was ever given for granted.

 

Folding the letter and placing it in the back pocket of her trousers for later, Regina sat down at her desk, picked up her pen, and began to write.

 

_Dear Emma,_

_First and foremost, I’d like you to know I think you are very brave. From what you have written, I can see that your life has been upside down ever since you were a week old. For years, I believed that my life was hell. I had a mother yes, she was terribly overbearing and cruel in every sense of the word, but at least I had one. I had an older sister, again she was bossy and arrogant, but at least I had her. I’m Regina Mills, by the way._

_I am 28 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall (9 inches in heels), and am Mayor of my town; Storybrooke. I have shoulder-length brunette hair and brown eyes. What colour are your eyes, Emma? Also, I must mention that I have a tendency to wear pantsuits at every occasion. I’m talking Christmas, Thanksgiving, Office Party, BBQ. Choose any holiday or event, and I guarantee you that I will turn up wearing a pantsuit and high heels. Also, I love Star Wars. It’s my all time favourite and I distinctly remember going to the cinema to see it when I was a child. I also am a Trekkie (but, I digress, Star Wars is much better), and enjoy Marvel movies from time to time._

_I assure you that I am not a ‘jackass’ as you so crudely put it. I think that I am overall a very nice person, but I suppose that I’m probably biased._

 

_Dr. Hopper seems very nice and it looks to me like he cares about you a lot Emma. You should stick with him, and I’m sure when it comes down to it you will choose the correct path. And this, August? Who in their right mind would name a child after a month of the year? Never mind. What ever happened to him? He wasn’t the one who stole the watches was he?_

_So, you’re pregnant_. _Tell me, are you receiving the proper care and hospitality that you need? By law, it is required that you receive regular scans and hospital visits, as well as round the clock care should you want it. Trust me, I studied law for years at University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree, so I know my stuff. Also, if you don’t mind me asking, how many weeks along are you? And is the baby healthy?_

_One of the journalists here in town asked me to sign up for this, simply to gain publicity for the newspaper he writes for (he’s a huge idiot)._

_I will be looking forward to your next letter._

_From,_

_Regina – (who swears she is totally and completely normal, and is definitely not a jackass, nor a dumbass)._

After proofreading the letter a few times, Regina placed it inside an envelope, wrote the address onto the aforementioned envelope in her neat script, and sent it off it the mail the following morning.

 

* * *

 

“Emma? Emma!” A loud voice awoke Emma from her deep slumber. Groaning in protest and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Emma sat up to come face to face with…

 

 _Oh_ , her roommate, Kelsey Sanders. “Kelsey? What’s wrong?”

 

“The Doctor’s here and is ready to see you, Em. He’s waiting for you in the Cricket’s office.” Kelsey smiled, gently helping Emma out of the bed.

 

Sure, when Emma had first arrived in prison, everyone had sort of welcomed her and had attempted to entice her to join their ‘sub-culture’ if you will. Long story short, things fell through and Emma became a lone wolf. A few weeks later, after her cellmate (whom she nicknamed ‘Hula’) got transferred, Kelsey moved in with her. Emma had always been quite a shy person by nature, and so it had taken her awhile to actually introduce herself to her new roommate. The two bonded over time, talking about no-good boyfriends, Star Wars, and babies for hours on end. The pair had remained best friends.

 

“Don’t call him that, Kye.” Emma swatted her friend on the arm, lightly. “He’s a nice guy.”

 

“Yeah yeah, Em. Now hurry up and get off your ass.”

 

Chuckling, Emma pushed herself off of the bed and let Kye walk her down the hall to security.

 

“Good luck.” Her friend told her, watching on as Emma walked through the barricades to the visitation centre. Once Emma had been checked and vetted by the security, she smiled back at Kelsey before being escorted to the Doctor’s office by the guards.

 

Doctor Hopper was waiting for her at the end of the corridor, along with another doctor (or so Emma assumed) who was standing with a straight back and a bright smile on her face. Her long brunette hair was tied in a ponytail, though some wisps of light grey flew free along her temple.

 

“Good morning, Emma.” Archie greeted, ushering her inside the cosy office, where she sat herself down. “May I introduce Doctor Sawyer, she’s a sonographer and has come here today to perform your 20-week external ultrasound scan.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Emma.” Dr. Sawyer shook the blonde’s hand firmly.

 

“And you.” Emma smiled bashfully.

 

At this, the brunette woman laughed heartily. “Oh please, dear, call me Abby.”

Dr. Hopper smiled at the exchange, before shuffling over to examination table. “Are you ready, Emma?”

 

Standing from her seat, Emma walked over towards the pair, before lying down on the bed. “Yeah, I am.” She inhaled a deep breath, as Abby began to utilise the medical equipment from around the room.

 

Turning back to Emma, Abby rolled up her patient’s shirt and placed tissue paper around Emma to protect her clothing from the ultrasound gel. In quick succession, Abby pulled out a tube of the gel, and applied some rubber gloves to her hands.

 

“This might be a little cold.” Abby warned, before squirting out some of the gel and rubbing it on Emma’s slightly protruding belly.

 

Emma shivered in response. _Damn, the Doc wasn’t joking!_

Abby smiled at her once more, before turning the monitor towards Emma and picking up the ultrasound probe. “Alright Emma, you all set?” At Emma’s nod, the doctor continued. “I’m going to start now by placing the probe on your belly, and will begin to move it around gently. You will feel some pressure, but it shouldn’t be painful.”

 

Emma nodded once more, and Abby placed the probe onto her belly. Fascinated, the blonde stared at the monitor as a black and white image of a baby appeared on the screen. _Her_ baby.

 

“There we go.” Abby smiled, finding a good angle. “Would you like to know the sex?”

 

“Yes, please.” Emma replied meekly, completely awestruck by the scene in front of her.

 

“Congratulations, Emma.” Abby looked up and caught Emma’s gaze. “You’re going to be having a baby boy.”

 

“A-a boy?” Emma echoed, on the verge of tears. She had always wanted a son.

 

Archie walked over from the other side of the room and took Emma’s hand, squeezing it lightly. “A boy.” He confirmed.

 

Then, the waterworks came. And Emma sobbed happily; tears running freely down her cheeks as she clung onto Archie’s hand.

 

* * *

 

Re-entering her cell, with Kelsey nowhere to be seen, Emma was surprised to find an envelope addressed to her on her bed. The handwriting on the front of the envelope was unfamiliar, and so Emma was sure that it was a reply from her pen pal.

 

Smiling hopefully to herself, Emma picked up the envelope, put it in her pocket, and began walking to her favourite place – the library. When she arrived there, the library was empty. As cliché as it sounds, most prisoners at Massachusetts Correctional Institution did not care about reading, studying, learning new things, or completing their GED. Emma was the exception.

 

Two weeks after Emma first arrived, she discovered the prison library. It wasn’t anything fancy, not like the Library of Congress or the Bodleian Library, but it was better than nothing. Frankly, Emma loved to read. Shakespeare was one of her favourite authors, and she loved _Much Ado About Nothing_ and _Julius Caesar_ ; Charles Dickens also made her favourites list, and many a time, Emma had found herself re-reading _Great Expectations_ – her favourite novel of all time – once again. Emma also loved history, therefore she especially enjoyed reading books set in a particular time period, or books based on true events. And, the prison library also happened to have a large collection of historic novels, most of which Emma had not read. Emma got through them all quite quickly, and by the time she had served 3 months of her 10-month overall sentence, she had finished them all.

 

That was a month ago. Now, since Emma had joined the prison pen pal programme, the blonde had begun to focus more on practicing her writing skills. She had read a few English textbooks already, and was currently halfway through another. In addition, Emma had also been taking regular handwriting classes with the librarian, in order to help improve the tidiness of her script.

 

Smiling brightly, Emma nodded her head towards the librarian in greeting, before taking her usual seat at the desk in the corner of the room. This was her desk, or so she liked to think of it as. Besides, if anyone decided to steal her seat and used the age-old excuse ‘it hasn’t got your name on it’, Emma already had a counter attack prepared. She had previously engraved her name onto the underside of the desk, forever indenting the rich mahogany, leaving her mark. So, the desk _did_ actually have her name on it.

 

Sitting down at the desk, Emma took out the letter from her pocket and placed it in front of her on the library desk. Taking a deep breath, Emma slowly opened the envelope and began to read the letter.

 

* * *

 

_Dear Regina,_

_You have a beautiful name. Did you know_ _that your name means, "queen" in Latin (or Italian)?_

_I’m sorry to hear about your mother and sister. No one deserves to go through that, and I’m very sorry that you had to suffer through it. You seem like a very kind and genuine person._

_Mayor of an entire town, sweet! I also enjoy Sci-fi movies. Have you been to any conventions or special events?_

_No, you seem very genuine. One thing you’re definitely not is a jackass._

_Yeah, Archie’s cool. He’s one of the only people here who is actually on my side. I know he’s trying his best to help me. I was initially skeptical of going to see him at first, but now I’ve opened up more. And no, August wasn’t the one who stole the watches – that was Neal. August was one of my foster brothers in one of the homes I was put up in. After I ran away, he found me. We’ve stayed in contact ever since._

_Yes, I’m pregnant. I just had my 20-week scan today. This doctor called Abby came to visit and performed the scan, Archie was there too. I’d say that I’m receiving all the proper care I need. My son is very healthy, and his heart is very strong. I’m having a son; and I couldn’t be happier! I’ve always wanted a son._

_From,_

_Emma_

_(P.S. My eyes are blue_ _)._

Regina let out a long breath after finishing Emma’s letter. To be perfectly honest with herself, Regina had not thought the blonde would reply to her. Nevertheless, she was elated. She finally had someone to talk to.

 

Placing the letter back into its envelope, Regina felt something else inside. Peering inside, she pulled out a picture. No, a sonogram. Tears sprung to Regina’s eyes as she looked over the picture of Emma’s baby boy.

 

“Beautiful.” She breathed, smiling through her tears.

 

Regina had always wanted a baby. In fact, she had been pregnant before, but had never carried to term. Daniel, her late husband, had wanted children just as much as Regina had. They were a young couple in love, had stable, well-earning jobs, had a large house and garden, and lived in a friendly neighborhood. It was the perfect environment in which to raise a child. The pair had tried for years to conceive a child, but did not succeed until 5 years after their wedding.

 

Regina was overjoyed when she found out that she was finally going to become a mother. She had told all of her friends and relatives, painted and decorated a nursery with Daniel, bought lots of new baby clothes, and found out the sex.

 

Their daughter was most definitely spoilt. She had a large room at the back of the house, next door to the master bedroom, which was painted pink and had white, rustic accents; her own wardrobe full to the brim with cute, contemporary clothes; her own army of toys (made up of around 40 stuffed animals); and even her own balcony, for when she got older.

 

After the couple had found out the sex, they decided on a name. Ellie-Rose Colter. Regina did not want to name her daughter after her mother, so she decided to name her after her grandmother Ellie instead. Meanwhile, Daniel had wanted to name her after his mother, Rose. And so, Regina and Daniel finally settled on the name, Ellie-Rose. It was a nice name, and was very unique, which was exactly what Ellie-Rose was.

 

However, all of a sudden Regina and Daniel fell on darker times. It all began when Daniel lost his job at the local stables, which meant that the couple now had hardly enough money, and could barely afford to pay for everything they needed; then, a massive thunderstorm struck in the midst of the night, a freak bolt of lightening struck a large oak tree near the house, and the tree ultimately collapsed into the house, putting a medium-sized hole in the roof and damaging a few windows.

 

Then came the final blow. At 30 weeks, Regina started vomiting regularly. She passed it off as nothing, as she’d read online that some women can regain the symptoms of morning sickness during the late stages of their pregnancy. After waking in the early hours of the morning one day, with sharp pains in her stomach, Regina was rushed into hospital. She spent the night there, and the doctors had performed many tests.

 

She’d wanted to cry, oh how she did. But she held in her tears until the nurse and doctor entered the room. She had known something was wrong from the look of total despair on their faces.

 

“Mr. and Mrs. Colter, we have some news concerning the baby.”

 

Regina’s stomach dropped, and tears began to spring from her eyes. Beside her, she felt Daniel squeeze her hand.

 

“When we performed the ultrasound scan this morning,, we could not detect a heartbeat. I’m so sorry.” The nurse bowed her head, and her and the doctor left the room.

 

Regina let out a wretched sob. Her baby, her little Ellie-Rose was gone. Daniel cried too, and the pair sobbed throughout the next few days.

 

It was hard for them both, especially when they dismantled the nursery. Their relatives tried to help, but it just wasn’t enough. Regina was broken, smashed into a million tiny pieces, utterly ruined. She fell into a deep depression, which not even Daniel could help control.

 

Following everything that had happened, Daniel had found another job at a new stable outside of town, and had thrown himself into his work in order to keep himself occupied. About a year later, Regina received a call from Daniel’s workplace. There had been an accident with one of the new colts in the paddock, and Daniel had been fatally injured.

 

Regina drove to the hospital as fast as she could, and she arrived as the doctors were performing surgery on Daniel. She sat in the waiting room for hours, running on vending machine coffee, waiting for any news of her husband. She’d contacted both her and Daniel’s relatives and most of them were sitting in the waiting room with her.

 

After six hours of waiting, a surgeon finally summoned Regina. In the corridor, he gently pulled her aside and spoke to her in a hushed voice. “I’m sorry,”

 

Regina felt the same sinking feeling she had after hearing the news about Ellie-Rose. She looked down at her feet, her heart broken once more, and her life ruined.

 

The surgeon continued on. “There were complications during the surgery, I’m afraid we weren’t able to resuscitate your husband.”

 

And that was the story of how Regina’s life fell apart, twice.

 

After the death of Daniel, Regina had fallen into an even deeper depression than before. She refused to eat, and rarely slept. She couldn’t bear to leave the house, and see all of the townspeople pitying her. Regina counted these as some of the hardest times of her life, but luckily she’d had Daniel’s relatives, as well as some of her close friends, to help her through it all.

 

Regina was in a much better place now, and although she lived alone, she was moderately happy. She had her friends, her family, her town. And now, she had Emma. Perhaps she and Emma would meet someday.

 

Perhaps… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The other participants of the Swan Queen Supernova and I have spent months creating these fics and art for you to enjoy - it would be amazing if you commented to tell us what you liked! The SQSupernova team is also sponsoring a contest for commenters, and you can find out more [here](http://sqsupernova.tumblr.com/post/164792441694/announcing-the-sqsn-comments-contest-a-reward-for)!


	2. Chapter 2

**WARNING: MENTIONS OF** **MISCARRIAGE**

 

_Emma,_

_Thank you. I did know that my name means “Queen” in Italian. Actually, I have Italian roots. My great aunt is Italian, and one of my distant uncles is Sicilian._

_Don’t worry yourself over my problems, Emma. They are mine and mine alone, and I don’t wish to burden anyone else with them._

_Yes, I’m the Mayor of a town in Maine. The job itself is all right (however, the paperwork is not), and it never fails to keep me busy and on my toes. From time to time, I do like to sink my teeth into a good Sci-Fi or action movie. I also enjoy horror movies. In case you’re wondering, ‘The Human Centipede’ is my all-time favourite._

_Unfortunately, no, I’m afraid I haven’t been to any conventions. But, I am planning on going to San Diego Comic Con next year._

_I’m glad that you have someone to help you through this Emma. Especially someone like Archie, who clearly cares so much for your wellbeing._

_I understand now: August equals friend, Neal equals conniving jackass._

_I’m overjoyed that you are well taken care of, Emma. If you need anything, any supplies or baby items, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’d also like to thank you for the sonogram. Your son is so beautiful and strong; he will grow into a charming young man one day._

_Regina._

Smiling, Regina finished reading the letter out loud to Kathryn, her best friend.

 

“So…this Emma, is she nice?” Kathryn asked, sporting a sly grin.

 

Gently, Regina swatted the blonde’s arm. “Katie! I haven’t even met her yet.”

 

Kathryn continued on. “Well, the fact that you’re so open with her suggests otherwise.”

 

“Open?” Regina scoffed. “So, telling Emma that I’m Mayor of Storybrooke and revealing my movie preferences is me being open? Well, I dread to think what ‘shy and reserved’ Regina looks like.”

 

Kathryn laughed. “I’m just saying, this is like, first date stuff.”

 

“Hmm, I wouldn’t know. I’ve not been on a date in years.”

 

“You never know Regina,” Kathryn took her hand. “Don’t lose faith.”

 

* * *

 

For the next few months, Emma and Regina continued to exchange letters. They shared stories, lifestyle tips, as well as their opinions on current events.

 

_Emma,_

_Did you see what happened in the presidential election? What a sham! I voted for Clinton, in case you were wondering. I wish people in prison were allowed to vote, as long as they promised not to waste it, though. Perhaps that would have changed the outcome. By the time this letter reaches you, our new president will be entering his 2 nd week in office. Hopefully, after another two weeks pass, we will be successful in ousting him from said office._

_Wow, you’re in your third trimester – not long to go now! How are you and the baby doing?_

_In town the other day I came across one of those cliché ‘What to expect when you’re expecting’ books. I bought it. I thought that if I read it, it may help me better understand what you are going through._

_Anyway, I started reading it two days ago. It’s actually very interesting and informative. I read that_ _during the seventh month of_ _your pregnancy, fat begins to be deposited on your baby. Your baby is about 36 cm (or 14 inches) long and weighs from about 900 - 1800g (two to four pounds). Also, your baby's hearing is fully developed and he or she changes position frequently and responds to stimuli, including sound, pain, and light. Isn’t that cool?_

_I don’t know if this has ever crossed your mind at all, but have you ever considered maybe meeting me? Obviously, it’s not going to be in a chic café over coffee, but I’m willing to come to the prison. But only if you’d like me to, if not, that’s absolutely fine._

_I want you to know that this is your choice, Emma. No matter your answer, our letters to each other will not stop._

_I hope this reaches you safely._

_Regina._

* * *

“So, she wants to meet you?” Kelsey smiled smugly at Emma. “Look’s like you’ve found a keeper, Em.”

 

“Shut up, Kye. I still haven’t decided on what to do yet.” Emma replied.

 

“What to do? Easy, just say yes.”

 

“But-“

 

Kelsey shushed her. “No if’s or buts, Emma Swan. You need this. You have a chance, an opportunity – take it. You’ve met someone, someone nice, now don’t let her go. Go get the girl, Em.”

Emma let out a small laugh. “You’re acting as if I’m going to ask her to be my girlfriend.”

 

“Wait, you’re _not_ going to ask her to be your girlfriend?”

 

Oh my god.

 

* * *

 

_Regina,_

_I saw what happened with the election. I couldn’t sleep that night actually, and so I stayed up and listened to the coverage on the radio in my cell. You’re right; the whole thing was one hell of a sham. If we were allowed to vote, I would have voted for Clinton. Trump is just an arrogant orange asshole. Am I right?_

_Yeah, I’ve entered my third trimester. The whole idea of it all is exciting but daunting at the same time. Man, that book sounds awesome! I’m going to go take a look in the library for something like that later._

_Oh yes, my little monkey here sure loves moving around, especially right before I’m about to sleep. I’m usually awake during the night, simply because I can’t find a comfortable position to sleep in. Oh and he’s starting to press on my bladder a lot as he grows which makes me want to pee all the time (the little shit). Also, I’ve been really tired lately; the Doc said that it could be down to my lack of sleep over the past few days, or just a lack of energy in general. I get breathless sometimes too; I had to get my iron levels checked to make sure I didn’t have anaemia or whatever._ _And all of that, plus backache and a cramp or two here and there, is my day-to-day life._

_I’ve been thinking about this for a while, actually. I’d love to meet you in person, but I think it’s still a little too soon. How about a compromise? Maybe I could call you from in here and then we could speak over the phone. How does that sound?_

_I think it would be better talking over the phone because I don’t know about you, but I’m a little bored of writing letters and waiting weeks for a reply. I suppose that’s that whole point of writing letters, but to be honest I’ve never been a very patient person._

_Hope to hear from you soon (or in a few weeks time!)._

_Emma._

And sure enough, two weeks later Emma received a reply from Regina…

 

_Emma,_

_My friend Kathryn and I met up after work and headed over to our local polling station to vote. She voted for Hilary, too. I think it’s wrong that prisoners do not have the right to vote. They live in this country too, and I think it’s wrong to pretend that they don’t. I think if you were allowed to vote, considering the number of prisoners within the country, that there might have been a different outcome._

_I appreciate that what you are going through is difficult. But think of it like this, in just under two months time you’ll be a proud mother, cradling your perfect little boy in your arms. Would you like me to send the book to you? After all, you need it more than I do._

_I’m very sorry to hear that you’re having trouble sleeping, Emma. Just try and make yourself as comfortable as possible before bed. Try taking a hot shower or doing yoga or some other simple stretches. I’ve also read that wrapping or ‘cocooning’ yourself in a blanket or duvet helps, and that placing pillows on your bed can help make you comfier._

_I’ve also happened across something called a ‘pregnancy pillow’. Basically, it’s a really long pillow that wraps around your body and is supposed to mimic the feeling of someone holding or embracing you. I’ll send you one of those to if you like?_

_I think that a phone call would be great. Attached to this letter is my business card; it has all of my essential information on it, including my contact number._

_From,_

_Regina._

* * *

 

Around ten minutes later, Emma entered her cell, the letter from Regina she’d just read through in her hand.

 

“I did it.” She told Kelsey, who was lying on her bed engrossed in a copy of Pride and Prejudice (which looked like it had seen better days).

 

Kelsey looked up from her reading, eyeing the envelope in Emma’s hand. “You asked her out?”

 

Plopping down on the bed beside her friend, Emma rolled her eyes. “No, course not. I asked her if I could call her, and look-“

 

Emma removed Regina’s business card from the envelope and handed it to Kelsey, who inspected it closely. “She said yes, and gave me her business card and everything.”

 

Kelsey whistled low in her throat. “Damn Em, you did good.”

 

“When do you think I should call her? Would later today be too soon?”

 

“Just call her when you’re ready. There’s no rush.” Kelsey assured, handing the card back and going back to her reading.

 

Tomorrow, Emma decided. She would call Regina tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the evening flew by, and Emma now found herself getting ready for bed.

 

Following Regina’s advice, Emma had taken a hot shower around half an hour ago. She made a mental note to thank Regina, as she felt very relaxed and her muscles were no longer tense or sore. Smiling, Emma continued on with her usual nightly routine, which included washing her face, brushing her teeth, and telling her son about the days events.

 

Climbing into bed, which was covered with the best quality pillows she could find, Emma placed a hand on her swollen stomach.

 

"Hey little guy, I hope you're holding up ok. Don't worry, just another couple months and then you'll be out of there, and I'll be able to cuddle you for real while I tell you stories." 

 

Rubbing circles over her bump, Emma continued on. "I got a letter back from Regina today. You remember her, right? She's my friend, the one I've been writing to for a few months. Anyway, you know how I asked if I could call her? Well, she said yes. She sent her business card over in the mail today."

 

"I'm going to call her tomorrow. I wonder what her voice will sound like. Will it be deep? Or will it be all high and feminine? I hope that it'll be somewhere in the middle, like not too deep, but also not too high."

 

"Do you think she likes me?" Emma whispered. "I think I like her. She seems nice and genuinely cares for my wellbeing, which is more than I can say for most people who have been in my life. I'm not sure what to do, though. Do I tell her? Do I not? I don't know, kid. I'm not even sure I like her in that way yet. I'm just so confused." 

 

Suddenly, Emma felt a flutter in her stomach, which was followed by a soft kick. "You trying to tell me something kid? Should I go get the girl?" 

 

It was then that all of the lights went out, and the prison was plunged into darkness. But the question still stood in Emma's mind.

 

_Should I go get the girl?_

 

* * *

 

In the morning, Emma woke up and stretched her muscles. She'd slept most of the night, only getting up once when the baby began to kick. After that, she returned to bed and slept for the remainder of the night.

 

Emma smiled and placed both her hands on her stomach. "Good morning, little man. We've got a big day ahead of us. I think that calls for a big breakfast, don't you?"

 

"Who you talking to, Em?" A semi-conscious Kelsey asked from the other side of the room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

 

"The baby." Emma answered simply. "Hey, I'm going to get some breakfast. You want some?"

 

"Bring something back for me, please?" Kelsey asked, pouting at her friend.

 

"I will if you promise to never pull that face  _ever_  again." 

 

"Deal." Kelsey answered, diving back into the warmth of her duvet.

 

Rolling her eyes, Emma walked out of the cell and down the corridor towards the mess hall. On the way, Archie, who was asking about her progress with Regina, joined her.

 

"Yeah," Emma told him. "Her name is Regina, and she’s the mayor of a town in Maine." 

 

“She sounds great! How are you two getting along?" Archie asked, beaming.

 

"Awesome, actually. We've been exchanging letters for a few months now, and I'm actually calling her for the first time today.”

 

Archie stopped walking in the middle of the corridor, turned to Emma, and grasped her hands, cocooning both of them within his warm ones. “That is amazing, Emma. I’m so proud of you, and how far you have come. Look at yourself; you’re more open and happy now. You seem to be happier, and more excitable and enjoyable. I hope that you continue to bond with Regina and continue down the path you’re currently on.”

“Thanks, Archie.” Emma smiled, tears welling in her eyes., as the pair continued walking the final few metres towards their destination. “I’m really glad you talked me into doing this whole pen pal thing.”

 

“As am I, Emma.” Archie stopped at the entrance to the mess hall and placed a reassuring hand on Emma’s shoulder. “Good luck with Regina later today.”

 

Nodding and smiling in thanks, Emma walked past Archie and joined the queue for food in the mess, eager to satisfy her (and her son’s) hunger.

 

* * *

 

After breakfast, Emma had travelled to the prisoner ‘check-in’ point and had registered both Regina’s office and mobile numbers to her registry. Guards were very strict on this, and would not have let her make the phone call if she did not register the phone number. She didn’t particularly need to register Regina’s office’s number, but she had ‘just in case of an emergency’ she told herself.

 

Afterwards, Emma visited the library. Once there, she picked up one of her favourite Shakespeare plays – Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. After spending most of her high school days studying and analysing it, and reading it cover-to-cover three times moreover in prison, Emma had slowly but surely come to love it.

 

“Maybe this will give me some inspiration for when I call Regina later today, huh little guy?” Emma scoffed, rubbing small circles on her ever-growing stomach.

 

Opening the book to a random page, Emma began to read from the top. She chuckled, all of a sudden, after she spotted a quotation.

 

‘Oh, I am fortune’s fool!’ It read.

 

Sighing, Emma closed the book and hung her head. “Sorry Will, but not even you can help me with this one.”

 

Now, just under two hours later, Emma stood next in line in the queue for the phones.

 

The conditions in this particular part of the prison weren’t all that nice. The room was almost unbearably hot, and it didn’t help that it was packed full of around thirty other sweaty prisoners, who stood close together in neat queues like a can of sardines. Also, there was virtually no privacy, and the only barrier between each phone was a thin piece of clear plastic. For example, Emma, as well as the rest of the women in the room, could both see as well as hear a Latina woman yelling down the phone in Spanish.

 

“Damn,” She heard someone behind her whisper. “I’m sure glad I ain’t on the receiving end of that.”

 

The words were met by a small murmur and a few sniggers from around the room.

 

Taking deep breaths to help calm her nerves, Emma fidgeted with the business card clasped in her hand. The blonde’s other hand rested on her belly, unmoving, a comfort aid to both her and her unborn son.

 

Laughter and numerous jeers rose up from around the room as the aforementioned Latina woman hung up the phone and slammed the handset back down onto its base.

 

“Next!” A guard stationed nearby yelled.

 

Swallowing her nerves, Emma walked towards the phone on the wall. Drawing in a shaky breath, she held up Regina’s business card and removed her hand from her bump, dialling Regina’s mobile number.

 

“This is it.” She whispered, pressing the call button.

 

* * *

 

Regina was working from home today. She had no meetings scheduled for today, didn’t have all that much paperwork to complete either, and so she decided to take it easy and stay at home.

 

She was on her couch in the study when her mobile phone rang.

 

Taking off her reading glasses and picking up her phone from the side table, Regina desperately hoped that it wasn’t a call from the office saying that she had to come in for an urgent business meeting or whatever else.

 

Sighing, the brunette pressed the green answer button and was met with the automated voice of a woman. “An inmate from Massachusetts Correctional Institution is attempting to contact you. Press 1 to accept, or press 2 to decline.”

 

Regina’s eyes widened comically, and her mouth hung open.

 

On the other line, Emma waited patiently for phone to stop ringing. However, a part of her also wanted it to ring on, to further prolong her phone call with Regina (if she even answered that is). My god, was she even ready for this?

 

Suddenly, the ringing stopped and the line went silent. Emma peered at the clock on the handset; the timer had begun to count.

 

Regina had answered.

 

* * *

 

“Hello?” Regina asked, swallowing nervously.

 

 _Oh lord_ Emma thought, _she sounds like an angel!_

There was a deep, sexy chuckle down the line. “Well thank you, my dear.”

 

_Shit, I said that aloud!_

“You said that aloud too.”

 

“Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. I’m just really nervous.” Emma confessed, pressing her forehead against the phone handset.

 

“If it helps, I am too.” Emma could imagine Regina’s kind smile. “Just pretend we’re writing a letter, let it flow.”

 

“Alright,” Emma agreed. “I’m glad you and your friend voted Hilary, as I’ve said I would’ve too if I had been able. I can’t stand Trump supporters; their only excuse for supporting him is that he is going to ‘build a wall’ or whatever. I bet he won’t even do it.”

 

“Thank you, Em-ma.” Regina purred. “And you’re right, he won’t follow through on his promises. He’s a business man, not a politician.”

 

“I couldn’t agree more.” At that, Emma smiled. This wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be.

 

“So, how are you and the baby doing?”

 

“We’re doing awesome, actually. I read your letter yesterday and followed some of the tips and tricks that you mentioned. They helped a lot. I was so relaxed when I went to bed, and so was the baby. He didn’t kick all that much through the night, and overall he seemed pretty settled. As for me, well I was on cloud nine practically. I’ve honestly never been that relaxed in a long time, so thank you for that.” Emma spoke gratefully, twirling her finger around the wire connecting the handset to the base.

 

“Well, you’re very welcome. I’m going to do some more research on this, is there anything you would like me to look up for you at all?” Regina asked, stretching her aching muscles and then relaxing into a pillow on her couch.

 

“Would you please search up about the ‘pregnancy diet’? I’ve asked Archie about it and also read about it a little in some books that I found in the library here, but I still don’t understand it all that well.”

 

“Of course I will, dear. Right now though, I’d strongly advise you to stay hydrated and drink lots of water and eat as many vegetables as you can.”

 

Emma laughed. “Sure thing, _mom_.”

 

“I mean it, Emma.” Regina warned, trying (and failing) to hold back a laugh. “Will you please promise to do that?”

 

“Okay, I promise.” Emma conceded, and the line went quiet for a short while before the blonde woman spoke up once more. “How are you, Regina?”

 

“I’m doing alright at the moment, thank you for asking. I’m just trying to juggle work and well…life, really.”

 

“You’re mayor, right?” There was a murmur down the line. “So, you do lots of paperwork?” Another murmur. “What about a secretary, or an assistant, huh? They might be able to help you out. Do you have one?”

 

“I do have a secretary. She's very nice, and doesn't hate me like the rest of the townspeople do. She's not very fast, though, so I don't allow her to do any filing. She just makes and answers phone calls and sorts out my schedule."

 

“Well, if you ever need some extra help with stuff in the office and decide that you could do with an assistant, I wouldn’t mind running around after you.”

 

Regina laughed. “Are you good at filing? Quick at filling out paperwork? Efficient at getting people whatever they want at any given hour of the day?”

 

“No, I’m not.” Emma took a breath. “But for you, I could be.”

 

“I’m utterly charmed, Emma.”

 

“So you should be, you can’t deny the fact that I’m a total chick magnet.”

 

“Of course you are.” Emma could picture Regina rolling her eyes.

 

Looking behind her, Emma was met with the stone cold faces and death glares of around thirty other women, who were waiting in the queue behind her.

 

“Sorry, Regina, but I think I’m going to have to go. There are about thirty women in the queue right now who are shooting daggers at me.” Emma said, sorrowfully.

 

“Can you call me again?” Regina asked, breathily.

 

“Of course I can, when are you free?”

 

“I have a day packed full of meetings tomorrow, so it will have to be Friday.”

 

“Okay,” Emma agreed. “Friday it is. Maybe then we can arrange for you to visit?”

 

Regina smiled, her lips turning upwards to reveal her perfect set of pearly white teeth. “That would be great. Goodbye, Emma.”

 

“Goodbye, Regina.”

 

And with that, Emma hung up the phone. Holy _shit_.

 

* * *

 

“Are you kidding me? When did this happen?” Kathryn enquired. Regina had just told her of Emma’s phone call.

 

“Just now, actually. I got off the phone with her about 15 minutes ago.”

 

“So, what was she like?”

 

“She’s wonderful, Kate. She’s quirky and nerdy and just really _really_ down to earth, but that’s what I like about her. She’s just so unique, and we got along really well.” Regina replied, blushing slightly.

 

“No way! Am I really seeing Regina Mills blush over some phone call with a girl? _Oh my god_!”

 

“Nothing happened, just a little bit of friendly conversation is all.”

 

“Am I correct in assuming that your definition of ‘friendly conversation’ is akin to flirting?” Regina smiled slyly. “Mills, you little minx!”

 

“It wasn’t intentional!” Regina stood her ground. “Besides, I was only trying to be sarcastic.”

 

“What did you say?”

 

“I wasn’t aware we were playing ‘twenty questions’.”

 

“Just answer the question, Regina.”

 

“I said that I was ‘utterly charmed’ by her, and agreed that she was, as she put it, ‘a total chick magnet’.” Regina held her head high still, refusing to back down.

 

Kathryn proceeded to fall into fits of uncontrollable laughter. “So, you like her then?”

 

Smiling, Regina faced forwards and gazed thoughtfully into her lit fireplace. “Yes, I suppose I do.”

 

* * *

 

“Kye, she’s absolutely amazing!” Emma flung herself onto her bed, dramatically. After she had come off the phone with Regina, the blonde woman had all but ran back to her cell to tell Kelsey what had happened.

 

“What did she say then?”

 

“Well, she asked about how me and the baby are doing and gave me some more pregnancy and lifestyle tips like in her letters, and then we talked about how her work as mayor was going and I offered to step in as a secretary for her, if she ever needs me.”

 

“Jesus, Em,” Kelsey shook her head and smiled lightly. “You’re so far gone already.”

 

“Am not!” Emma threw back, rolling a piece of paper into a ball and throwing it towards Kelsey. “Besides, she’s my _friend_.”

 

“Yeah right, keep telling yourself that and you might actually start to believe it.”

 

Emma sighed, long and hard. What had she gotten herself into?

 

* * *

 

Friday soon arrived and yet again, Emma found herself standing in a room full of angry, queuing women waiting to make a phone call. She wasn’t as nervous as last time, but a small part of her was still a little nervous at the thought of speaking to Regina once more. To add to her plight, Emma and Regina were going to organise some sort of arrangement today for Regina to come and visit the prison.

 

Emma desperately wanted to meet Regina in person, but she just disliked meeting new people. It was easier on the phone, if you were mad or unhappy with the other person you could just hang up the receiver, but you couldn’t ‘hang up’ in person – as much as Emma wished you could.

 

 _Focus, Emma_ , she told herself, cradling her baby bump in both her hands.

 

“Next!” The familiar voice of the guard sounded.

Taking a deep breath and picking up the receiver, Emma began dialling Regina’s number.

 

“Hello, Emma.” Regina’s heavenly voice filtered through the phone mere seconds later.

 

“Hi, how are you?”

 

“Currently, I’m relaxing in the garden. I decided to take the day off work; it’s been quite some time since I didn’t have to worry about ‘being mayor’. And so, making the best of it,

I slept in late this morning and have just had a hot bath. Right now, I believe I’m ‘living the life’.” Regina explained, taking a sip of her cider, which stood in a glass tumbler on a little outdoor table beside her.

 

“It’s great that you’re looking after yourself Regina. Just keep in mind that it’s healthy and beneficial to take a break from everything every once in a while.”

 

“Thank you, Emma. And how are you?”

 

“I’m feeling better than usual. All the grogginess and general moodiness that comes with pregnancy is finally starting to wear off, which is great. – Though I would _die_ for nice hot bath right about now. The little man is starting to move around a lot more too, which I guess means that he’s a little tired of being all cooped up in my belly. I’m almost eight months along now, you know!” Emma spoke proudly, rubbing her ever-growing bump whilst speaking to Regina.

 

“Not long to go now then.” Regina smiled. “Have you come up with any ideas for baby names yet?”

 

“Oh my god!” Emma exclaimed. “I didn’t even think of that!”

 

“Well, let’s brainstorm together then, shall we? Do you like the names of any celebrities at all? Or, would you like to name him after a landmark or something of the like.”

 

“I don’t want to give him a geographical name; nothing like Brooklyn, or Paris, or London. And a landmark? No thanks, my son is not being named Liberty or Eiffel, thank you very much.” Emma heard Regina chuckle down the line, it was music to her ears, and it spurred her on. “I want him to have a smart name, something traditional but casual at the same time. I also want the name to be meaningful, but I can’t think of anything.”

 

“Don’t worry, Emma. You still have a good month or so to think of a name. Even then, you don’t have to give him a name straight away.”

 

“I suppose so,” Emma sighed. “If you had a kid, what would you name them?”

 

The line went silent for a few moments, whilst Regina mulled over the question in her head. “I had a daughter once, with my late husband.” She almost whispered. “Her name was Ellie-Rose. We were overjoyed when we found out, I had wanted a daughter for so long!”

 

“At thirty weeks, I became ill again. I just thought of it as some sort of morning sickness. When I was rushed into hospital not long after, though, I knew something was wrong. We waited and waited, Daniel and I for hours on end. Finally, the doctors came over to us, and I _knew,_ I just knew something had gone wrong.” Regina drew in a shaky breath. “I had a miscarriage. My perfect little girl was gone, and not long after so was my husband.”

 

Emma had no idea what to say. “I’m so sorry, Regina. I had no idea.”

 

Wiping away a stray tear that had escaped, Regina smiled. “Thank you for your condolences, Emma. It was a long time ago, though.”

 

“It doesn’t matter. When people say that ‘time heals everything eventually’ it’s a lie. Sometimes you just can’t get over stuff, no matter how hard you try.”

 

“Well said. I can say that I have moved on, but Daniel was my first love and he will live in my heart forever.”

 

“And I wouldn’t want anything less.” Emma smiled lovingly, and although Regina could not see it, she could picture it in her mind’s eye. “All of the stuff that you’ve been through has shaped and moulded you into the amazing woman that you are today. Don’t let anything get you down, Regina. You’re a strong, caring, loving woman who I care about. And trust me, I do not let anyone hurt someone that I care about.”

 

“Thank you so much, Emma.” Regina said, brushing away a few more tears from her face. “I care about you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The other participants of the Swan Queen Supernova and I have spent months creating these fics and art for you to enjoy - it would be amazing if you commented to tell us what you liked! The SQSupernova team is also sponsoring a contest for commenters, and you can find out more [here](http://sqsupernova.tumblr.com/post/164792441694/announcing-the-sqsn-comments-contest-a-reward-for)!


	3. Chapter 3

“Well, I can clear my schedule for Wednesday. Or Friday, perhaps?” Regina asked. She and Emma had been on the phone now for just under ten minutes.

 

“Any day will do, Regina.” Emma replied. “It’s not like I have anything to do in here.”

 

“Alright, Wednesday it is then. And how so? Does the institution not have a library, or some sort of rehabilitation class for the inmates to attend?” Regina asked, sipping her drink.

 

“They do have some classes and stuff but I don’t need them, they are mainly for high school or college dropouts. And yeah, we have a library here. I’ve probably read every book two times over though. Usually, I’ll just sit in there. No one ever goes in really, so it is normally pretty relaxing.”

 

“I wish I could leave here.” Emma continued. “I mean I will be able to, obviously, I only have a couple months left on my sentence, but its just so boring. I’ve done everything that can be done in here to keep me from going insane. I feel like an animal, just cooped up in a cage constantly. I mean, the only real contact I get with the outside world is through Archie and you.”

 

Regina smiled tenderly. “Well, just know you can ask about anything you want to. I don’t like the fact that you prisoners are all just suddenly ripped away from society and kept in confinement, never knowing anything, until your sentences are over.”

 

“You know, I’d like to know more stuff about pregnancy. I never really paid attention in school, and there’s not many books or anything about it here.” Emma ran her hand through her hair in thought. “By the way, did you find out anything about the ‘pregnancy diet’ I mentioned in my letters? I know it’s a bit late now, but I’d still like to learn more about it.” Smiling solemnly, the blonde continued. “You never know, I might even have another kid one day.”

 

“I did do some research on that for you actually, and I’ve printed off some information. Would you like me to send it with my next letter?” Regina asked.

 

“Yes please, that would be awesome!”

 

Regina laughed down the line. “You’re welcome, dear. Would you like me to research anything else for you? I’ve got my laptop here with me, so I can do it now if you like?”

 

“Would you mind printing some stuff off about how the baby grows, please? Once I found out I was pregnant, I just couldn’t get my head around it. I ignored the fact that my belly was growing and that I was actually going to _become_ a mother. I only started to acknowledge the kid about 4 months in. I ended up talking to Archie about it and, as always, he helped me through it.”

 

“Of course I can do that for you, Emma. I’m glad you have Archie in there with you, he seems like such a big help.” Regina replied to her friend, sweeping her short brown locks out of her face.

 

“Yeah, he really is.” Emma sighed, distractedly. “You know, I’m going to miss him when I leave this place. Apart from Kelsey, he’s been the only person in here, that’s been with me since the start. I’ve confided in him pretty much constantly, and I know he’ll always be there for me no matter what.”

 

“Perhaps, when you get out, you two could stay in contact? You should ask him about it.”

 

“I think I will.”

 

The line went quiet for a few seconds, before Regina spoke up again.

 

“Alright, so I found this article about the growth of a baby inside the womb. It looks to be very informative and has pictures. Will that be okay?”

 

“That’ll be great, Regina.” Emma said, appreciatively. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me.”

 

“Oh, Emma really it’s-“

 

“No, really. Befriending you over these last few months is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. To be honest, I really don’t know what I did to deserve it all. You’re amazing, Regina. I mean, look at you; you take time out of your busy schedule to talk to a lonely pregnant prisoner on the phone, and write her letters on almost a weekly basis – and for what? You gain nothing whatsoever from this. You do it out of kindness, Regina. And god let me tell you, you are _so_ damn kind. I really hope one day my son grows up to be even half the person you are.”

 

The line was silent, except from a bout of small sniffles and rustling from Regina’s end.

 

“Emma, I-I’m afraid I don’t know what to say.” Regina Mills was usually a very prim, proper and uptight person, and now here she was practically speechless and falling for a woman she’d never even met. With Emma, her mask disappeared. It was just them; Regina and Emma, Emma and Regina. No filters, no expectations, just pure, raw emotion laden within letters and phone calls. That’s what Regina liked the most about Emma, her ability to just be herself with not a care in the world.

 

“Then don’t.” Emma almost whispered.

 

Regina sighed blissfully on the other end of the line, closing her eyes.

 

“I’ll see you Wednesday, Regina. Stay safe.”

 

“You too, Emma. See you on Wednesday.”

 

* * *

 

“I think I love her.” Emma said in a neutral tone, sitting down on a bench outside.

 

“Who?” Kelsey looked up from the book she was reading.

 

“Regina, I think I love her.”

 

Taking off her glasses, Kelsey smiled coyly.

 

“Ugh,” Emma groaned, shoving her friend lightly. “ _Shut up_!”

 

“Didn’t say anything.” Kelsey replied, smugly.

 

“You didn’t have to, I knew what you were thinking.” Emma said, huffing.

 

“Well, you know me.” Kelsey spoke, returning to her book.

 

“Unfortunately.” Emma mumbled jokingly, under her breath.

 

“Hey! I heard that!”

 

* * *

 

Sighing, Regina returned her phone to the counter after Emma had hung up. Feeling slightly woozy, she then took a seat at the kitchen table.

 

The thoughts currently whirling around in her head where dizzying to say the least. But, amidst everything, she knew that she at least cared for Emma. Regina wouldn’t go as far as to say that she loved the blonde, but she did feel _something_ for her. She just didn’t know what.

 

Regina had never really been good at defining her feelings, she just knew she had two ‘settings’ – she was either all in, or all out. She felt deeply and wore her heart on her sleeve (a trait that most people never noticed) and loved with every single part of her being. Most of her partners had called her out to be ‘controlling’ but they couldn’t see that it was just the way Regina showed that she cared. It was all or nothing with Regina, but with Emma it was different.

 

With Emma she cared, as she always did, and now Regina’s feelings were beginning to blossom into something more. She had never previously experienced this transition period with her previous partners. Like with Daniel, for example, from the moment she had seen him, Regina knew that he was the one.

 

 _Bzzt! Bzzt!_ The sound of her phone vibrating on the counter broke Regina out of her reverie. Sauntering over, her mayoral mask back in place, she picked up the phone and answered.

 

“Good afternoon, Mayor Mills here. May I ask who’s calling?”

 

“It’s me, Regina.” The somewhat groggy voice of Kathryn filtered through the receiver.

 

“Kathryn, sorry, I’m afraid I didn’t look at the caller ID.” Regina replied, taking her phone into the den and sitting down on the couch. “How are you?”

 

“Right now? Heavily intoxicated and severely pissed off.” Kathryn hiccupped.

 

“That’s not like you, Kat. Did something happen?” Regina asked almost gingerly, knowing not to push her friend to far.

 

Kathryn snorted loudly on the other end of the line. “Despite what Fred says, yes, something _definitely_ did happen.”

 

The line fell quiet for a moment but before Regina could say something, Kathryn continued on.

 

“When Fred went to work this morning, he left his phone at home by accident. I knew his passcode, he told me a while ago, and so I went onto his phone to text his friend Martin, who works with him at the school. Anyway, I text him, let him know it was me, and told him to tell Fred that he’d left his phone at the house. But then-“ Kathryn broke off with a gasp that, to Regina, sounded suspiciously like a sob. Nevertheless, she continued on.

 

“Martin told me that Fred wasn’t at work today, t-that he took the day off. I went out and asked around town to see if anyone had seen him, and Ruby told me that he’d been in earlier to pick up _two_ breakfast meals. Something was wrong, and I knew it. I mean two breakfasts? He’s a big man, Regina, but there’s no way he could manage to eat two breakfasts to himself. I continued on asking around town about him, and a few people told me that they’d saw him on one of the old trails, headed towards the toll bridge.”

 

“So, that’s where I headed. When I got there, though, there was no one in sight. I was there for a good half hour at least, and was about to just give up but before I did, I heard something. I-It sounded like a grunt or something, and I started investigating because I thought it might be an injured person or animal. I headed down the banks, towards the river, and that’s when I found him. I found _him_ , w-with another woman, under the bridge.”

 

“Oh, Katie.” Regina whispered, unsure of what to say to comfort her friend.

 

“He saw me.” Kathryn spoke on. “As I looked on, he looked up at me and so did the woman. I saw his eyes change then, they became wide and shocked at seeing me – and I-it was just so different to the Fred I knew; the kind-hearted, loving, doe-eyed man who I’ve loved since I was in high school – and the woman, she just smirked at me. I ran, Regina. I ran up that river bank and all the way back home, I could hear him shouting my name, trying to call me back to him.”

 

“Oh, Katie.” Regina repeated. “I’m so sorry.”

 

“Thank you.” Kathryn replied, nasally.

 

“Do you want me to come over?”

 

“Yes.” Oh god, _this is bad_ , Regina thought. Kathryn had always been a positive soul, ever the Good Samaritan. But now she sounded broken, and Regina had never seen her friend in such a bad way.

 

“Alright Kat, I’m coming now. I’m going to stay on the line, okay?” Regina told Kathryn, going to her foyer and grabbing her coat.

 

“Okay.” Kathryn sounded weak and tired, almost lifeless.

 

“Do you want me to tell you about my day?”

 

Regina heard a muffled sound down the line, to which she assumed meant that Kathryn agreed.

 

“Okay, I’m getting in the car now.” Regina opened the door to her Mercedes and started the engine.

 

“So, Emma called me up again today.” Regina’s shoulders slumped and her breathing slowed as some pent-up tension left her body at the thought of Emma.

 

“Emma, the blonde?” Kathryn chirped, seeming to perk up.

 

“Yes, that’s the one. We talked about her, how her and the baby were holding up, and discussed names for a while. We didn’t come up with any good ones, though. Emma says she wants it to be meaningful, so she’s going to think on it. Then I got a tad upset, and Emma shared some of her feelings with me.”

 

“So she finally admitted her everlasting, un-dying, unyielding lesbian love for you then?” Kathryn asked, allowing a small smirk to bloom on her lips.

 

“Sorry to disappoint you, but not exactly. She told she cares about me, very vague I know, but I told her I care about her too.”

 

“So you finally admitted your everlasting, un-dying, unyielding lesbian love for her then?” Kathryn countered.

 

“ _Kat_.” Regina scolded, pulling into her friends drive, before hanging up.

 

* * *

 

Upon entering Kathryn’s house, Regina had immediately went into the kitchen and made them both some hot cocoa (Kat’s with extra whipped cream and marshmallows, of course) and had then went upstairs to get some large comfy blankets from the linen closet and a selection of movies from the bedroom.

 

When she was finished, Regina wordlessly entered the living room and placed the two mugs of hot cocoa on the wooden coffee table in front of the couch. Seeing a small smile from Kathryn, Regina picked out one of their favourite movies, placed it in the TV set, and then sat down next to her friend.

 

“How are you?” Regina finally asked, as the familiar opening credit crawl of _Star Wars_ filled the expanse of the TV screen.

 

“I feel a little better, you successfully managed to entertain me with your phone call.”

 

“Yes, well…” Regina trailed off.

 

Kathryn smiled, knowingly. “You can’t fool me.”

 

“So it seems.” Replied Regina, taking a sip of her hot cocoa.

 

* * *

 

_Emma,_

_Attached to this letter is some information on the pregnancy diet, how the body changes during pregnancy, and how a baby grows and forms within the womb. I hope that this satisfies your curiosity._

_By the time you receive this, we will have already met each other in person for the first time. I hope that it goes well. It’s all still so surreal to me. A few months ago I was a lonely, self-obsessed mayor who had nothing to live for but a town full of people who disliked her. And now (I haven’t really changed much) though, I seem to have two new additions in my life – you and your son. Despite your current situation, and your son’s unborn status, both of you have never ceased to brighten up my life, day by day. I now find myself leading a much happier and joyful life; and all thanks to you._

_I can never fully express my gratitude towards you, Emma. But I promise, if you and your son ever need anything at all, I’ll always be right here._

_Love,_

_Regina_

_P.S. In case you haven’t opened the parcel to which this letter was attached, I have sent you my copy of ‘What to expect when you’re expecting’. I know it’s only a small gift (you know I wish I could send more items) but prison regulations stand, my dear. Take care._

* * *

It was an unusual Monday morning for Mayor Regina Mills. Usually, Monday’s were the busiest day of the week but for some strange reason there was not a soul in sight today. As a result, Regina had not been very busy and had managed to find the time to write another letter to Emma.

 

After tying the ribbon around the small parcel and taping the letter to it, Regina stood up out of her chair and pulled on her coat. Usually, she would just put it in the outbox on her desk and get her secretary to take it to the post office at the end of the day but today, seeing as her schedule was completely empty, Regina wanted to take the package herself.

 

Walking out of her office, Louboutin heels clicking on the white marble flooring, Regina turned towards her secretary, Mia, who was sitting at her desk. Regina could tell that Mia was just as bored as her, despite her attempt at hiding her distant expression under the length of her thick, curly locks.

 

Mia was one of the kind ones in this town, she wore her heart on her sleeve and looked up to Regina. As Mayor, Regina deeply appreciated Mia and the work she did, as without her she would be lost under a pile of schedules, mail, and paperwork. She was a hard worker too, and never failed to complete her work and more by the end of the day.

 

“Mia, I’ll be taking the post out today. Finish whatever work you’re doing, and then you may go home.”

 

Mia looked shocked to say the least. “M-Mayor Mills, are you sure? What if someone comes in?”

 

“Yes dear, I’m sure. And if someone does happen to come in, well, they’ll just have to wait for me to return.” Regina replied, signing out of the town hall building on the sheet.

 

This sparked a bright smile from Mia. “Thank you, ma’am.”

 

“Please call me Regina, I insist. It makes me feel old when people call me ‘ma’am’.” Regina winked at her secretary, before walking down the stairs and out of the town hall.

 

Outside, just like her office, was not very busy at all. Walking down the street, Regina spotted numerous flyers for some sort of funfair just outside of town.

 

Regina huffed loudly and raised her chin, _so that’s where everyone is_.

 

The last funfair Regina had been to was back in high school. She was with Daniel, Kathryn, and Frederick. Her and Kat were always acting ‘ladylike’ and were always prim and proper, the boys, however, were daredevils and were always trying to entice the girls into doing something they thought was ‘fun’ – which usually meant illegal.

 

Smiling, Regina continued on down the street until she reached the post office.

 

“Hello, John.” Regina said in greeting, walking over to the counter. “How are you?”

 

“I’m very well, thank you. How are you, Mayor Mills?” Replied John, tipping his hat.

 

“Please, call me Regina. I’m very well, also.”

 

“That’s good to hear, Regina. What can I do for you today?” John asked, smiling kindly.

 

“I’m here to send this small parcel and letter, first class please.” Regina said, taking out her wallet from her pocket.

 

“Of course. May I interest you in any of these premium stamps? We just got them in yesterday.” John took out a small booklet, handing it to Regina.

 

Regina flicked through a few pages, until she spotted a _Star Trek_ stamp. The stamp was light blue in colour, and a silhouette of the Vulcan salute stood in the centre. Inside of the silhouette, was a picture of the USS Enterprise in space, passing by a red-coloured planet; the words ‘Forever USA’ were printed at the top of the stamp in white lettering, along with a small orange Starfleet badge.

 

“I’ll take that one please.” Regina told John, pointing at her chosen stamp. She remembered telling Emma that she was a ‘trekkie’ in one of her letters.

 

“Good choice.” John remarked, sticking the stamp onto the letter and typing the amount into the till. “Your total is $12.99.”

 

Regina handed John two ten-dollar bills. “Keep the change.” She told him, before exiting the establishment.

 

* * *

 

“Happy Tuesday.” Kelsey said, sitting up and stretching in bed.

 

“What’s happy about the fact that it’s Tuesday?” Emma grumbled, burying her face in her pillow. As she got closer to her due date, Emma felt groggier each day.

 

“Well it’s…” Kelsey trailed off in thought. “One day closer to you meeting Regina.”

 

Emma turned around onto her back and sat up. “Yeah it is.” She sighed.

 

“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to meet her?” Kelsey asked, frowning.

 

“Of course I do. It’s just, I’m nervous. What if she’s different? I mean in her letters, she’s amazing but, what if face-to-face she’s a bitch?”

 

“Oh, Ems. I’m sure she will be amazing tomorrow. From what you’ve told me, she sounds genuine and she cares about you.” Kelsey replied.

 

“I suppose so.” Emma gave in, lying back down.

 

“Just relax, Emma. If it helps, don’t think about it. Spend today doing stuff you normally would.”

 

“What, you mean sleeping and eating?” Emma scoffed.

 

“Well, maybe today we could go for a walk outside?” Kelsey smiled.

 

“That sounds nice. Alright.” Emma agreed, getting up out of bed.

 

* * *

 

After breakfast, Emma and Kelsey went outside into, what they called, the prison’s ‘backyard’.

 

It was fenced in, with a large concrete wall, which was at least 10ft high, and had a mass of barbed wire and glass on the top of it. The area in itself was quite large. At one end, there was a sort of ‘jungle gym’ area, which had a large 400m athletics track, a set of long-length 7ft monkey bars, and a few beach-style pull up bars. Extra equipment such as hurdles for the track and weights were available.

 

In another area, there was a small greenhouse, with an additional gardening area outside. If prisoners wanted to, they could join the rehabilitation job program, and get a ‘job’ either working in the kitchens, the bathrooms, or in the greenhouse. Lastly, there was a large field, which took up half of the backyard area in total. The inmates would usually come out here to sunbathe on hot days, or to eat their lunch on the picnic tables at the edge of the field.

 

“You alright, Em?” Kelsey asked, giving her friend a small nudge on the shoulder.

 

“Yeah, want to just take a slow walk around the edge of the field?” Emma replied, putting her hands into her pockets.

 

“Sure thing.” Kelsey said, heading over towards the wall.

 

* * *

 

“It’s tomorrow, right?” Kathryn asked, sipping her tea.

 

“Hmm, what is?” Regina asked, frowning.

 

“The day you meet your one true love!” Kathryn exclaimed.

 

Kathryn had perked up in the time that she had spent with Regina, and was now acting more like her usual mischievous self.

 

Regina rolled her eyes. “Emma is hardly my one true love, Kat. I-I think I do have feelings for her, but I’m not cutting to the chase quite yet, I haven’t met her after all.”

 

“I think it’s nice. The prisoner and the mayor: a love story come true. Hey, you know, that sure would make one hell of a book, I mean-“

 

“Katie,” Regina cut her friend off. “Let’s not jump to conclusions here. I have feelings for Emma, but I don’t love her.”

 

“Not yet.” Kathryn muttered under her breath.

 

Regina continued. “We have been exchanging letters as friends, and we will meet each other for the first time tomorrow. At least wait until then to bring up your ‘true love’ crap.”

 

“Wait, so you’re giving me permission to tease you about this after tomorrow?” Kat asked, flabbergasted.

 

“I said ‘at least wait until tomorrow’.”

 

“Awesome.” Kathryn fist-pumped in the air. “Roll on tomorrow.”

 

Regina just rolled her eyes, and sipped her tea.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Emma woke to a series of pillows being thrown off her head.

 

“What the hell? Kye!” Emma exclaimed.

 

“Good morning, sleepy head. Time to get-up and meet your girlfriend!” Kelsey sang, practically bouncing off the walls.

 

“My girlfrie-wait, what time is it?” Emma questioned.

 

“7AM, I thought I should wake you up early because you don’t know what time Regina will get here.”

 

“But it’s still _dark_.” Emma cocooned herself inside of her duvet.

 

“But Regina’s coming.” Kelsey countered, dramatically throwing herself onto her bed like some kind of Disney princess.

 

Emma groaned, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. “Fine.”

 

Beaming, Kelsey threw a bundle of clothes at her friend. “Breakfast’s in 15 minutes.”

 

* * *

 

In Storybrooke, Regina woke up when the beaming sun began to shine through her curtains, trickling down the walls and onto the floor like a slim golden river.

 

Sitting up and stretching, Regina exhaled slowly. “Today’s the day.”

 

Smiling, Regina flung back her bed covers and practically leaped from the bed. Entering the bathroom, Regina began her daily beauty routine, first step: shower. Removing her silk pyjamas, the brunette entered the shower and turned on the faucet. Tilting her head backwards and letting the warm water run over her, Regina grabbed her sponge and began cleansing her body. After quickly washing her hair, Regina wrapped herself in her luxury white bathrobe before drying her hair. Drying her hair was the _worst_ , but Regina managed, armed with a paddle brush in one hand and her hairdryer in the other.

 

Next step: skincare. First, Regina used a gentle cleanser, then moisturiser, and then eye cream before using a primer and putting on her makeup. Not wanting to appear as ‘false’ in Emma’s eyes, Regina opted for a natural look with a sheer coverage of foundation and concealer, a natural brow, and a nude-coloured smoky eye. But, ever the lipstick lover, Regina then applied a lush red lipstick, which made her lips stand out in comparison to the rest of her makeup.

 

“What to wear, what to wear…” Regina muttered to herself, sifting through her large wardrobe after finishing off her makeup. Deciding on a somewhat casual look, Regina picked out some ripped orange mom jeans, a white Yoda t-shirt (which had ninjas and other Japanese fanfare on it for effect), and a pair of sleek black stiletto heels. Happy with her choice of outfit, Regina got changed into it and added a few extra pieces of golden jewellery to complete the ensemble.

 

Taking a final look at herself in the body-length mirror in her bedroom, Regina nodded and headed downstairs. Grabbing her handbag, phone, and keys, Regina opted to go to Granny’s Diner for breakfast. Granny’s was Storybrooke’s local B&B, run by Ruby Lucas and her grandmother, who everyone simply referred to as ‘Granny’. It was a nice establishment all in all, and Regina enjoyed its homely atmosphere.

 

Entering the establishment, Regina stood at the counter and was met with Ruby. “Madam Mayor, looking good, what can I get you?”

 

“A bacon, egg, and cheese bagel with fries and a large coffee to go, please.”

 

“Is that all?” Ruby asked, scrawling Regina’s order down on her notepad.

 

“Yes.” Regina answered.

 

“Alright, $7.95 please.”

 

Regina handed over the money and received her change back from Ruby. “I’ll be right back with your order.”

 

After a few minutes of tapping her short-cut fingernails on the counter and watching Leroy and his cronies across the diner, Regina was handed a takeaway bag by Ruby and bided farewell. Entering her car and eating her bagel, Regina put her fries and coffee in the middle compartment of her car and turned the ignition.

 

Breathing steadily, Regina silently wished herself good luck as she drove past the sign, which read ‘Leaving Storybrooke’ in bold white lettering.

 

* * *

 

It had been one hell of a long drive, but a few hours later Regina had finally made it to Massachusetts Correctional Institution.

 

Parking her Mercedes in the visitors parking area, Regina got out of the car and entered the prison. Upon entering, Regina headed over to the reception desk (which looked more like something from inside of a bank, with wrought iron bars separating Regina and the receptionist).

 

“Good morning,” The man on reception greeted. “Are you here for visitation?”

 

“I am yes.” Regina confirmed, nodding.

 

“And who are you here to see?”

 

“Emma Swan.” Regina looked on as the man scanned the visitor’s list in front of him, and ticked next to her name when he found it.

 

“Very well, please proceed to security. Down this hallway, to the left.”

 

“Thank you.” Regina said, before walking down the hallway and turning left as instructed. She was met with a scene that somewhat mirrored that of security at an airport, with around 10 security guards and around a dozen full body scanning machines.

 

“Please proceed to lane 1.” A guard told her.

 

Regina nodded to him in acknowledgement and walked over to the indicated lane.

 

“Please place your bag on the bench to your right, remove your shoes, and slowly walk through the scanning machine.” Another guard told her.

 

Following the guard’s instructions, Regina unhooked her handbag from her shoulder and placed it on the bench. She then removed her heels and handed them over to the guard, and strolled slowly through the security scanner.

 

“Clear.” The guard told her, handing back her shoes. “Bags and purses are not allowed inside the visitation room. You may collect your bag from here at the end of your visit.”

 

“Thank you.” Regina told him, before putting on her shoes and walking towards the door to the visitation room.

 

 _This is it Regina,_ She told herself, _No going back now._

Gripping the handle, and turning it downwards, Regina inhaled slowly before opening the door. Inside was a large room that resembled a school auditorium with around 25-30 tables and chairs set out, and people in orange prison jumpsuits sitting at them, each in conversation with the people visiting them – except one.

 

A petite, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl sat at a table alone near the edge of the room. The air left Regina’s lungs as brown eye’s met blue ones from across the room, and her brain immediately short-circuited.

 

 _Emma_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The other participants of the Swan Queen Supernova and I have spent months creating these fics and art for you to enjoy - it would be amazing if you commented to tell us what you liked! The SQSupernova team is also sponsoring a contest for commenters, and you can find out more [here](http://sqsupernova.tumblr.com/post/164792441694/announcing-the-sqsn-comments-contest-a-reward-for)!


	4. Chapter 4

Emma Swan was not a dreamer, nor a believer. Once, when she was younger, she did believe, but a bout of unruly, ignorant foster parents quickly put an end to it all. She was a broken girl then, but now she was trying to piece herself back together as she would a complex jigsaw puzzle. Now, Emma was minimally repaired, the only reasons for her doing so were the baby and _her_. Regina Mills, the loving brunette woman who stood now not 10ft away from Emma.

 

 _Is this real?_ Emma asked herself, unable to tear her eyes away from the beautiful sight in front of her.

 

Regina Mills was the very embodiment of utter perfection. She had a narrow face, which accentuated her angular cheekbones and her uplifted chin. Her kind eyes were a clouded hazel, and her thin eyebrows were shaped into a perfect arch that followed the curve of her eye. A long nose stood tall over smiling lips, which were painted a bright red colour. Short brown hair fell in tresses, framing her face, into an angular cut at her jaw. The shapely structure of Regina’s features was merely a reflection of her entire bodily structure, and everything – from her muscular arms to her skinny waist – screamed that this woman took much pride in herself, and her appearance. She walked towards Emma in long strides, her shoulders back and her head held high, all the while her tall stiletto heels clicked in a staccato rhythm against the floor.

 

“Hello, Emma. It’s nice to finally meet you.” And at the sound of her voice, _god_ , Emma almost melted on the spot.

 

“H-Hi, Regina. It’s nice to meet you too.” Emma pointed to the chair opposite her, gesturing for the brunette woman to take a seat.

 

“How are you?” Regina asked, getting as comfy as she could in the hard plastic chair.

 

“I’m doing great, just a little tired is all. The baby is due soon, the extra grogginess each day is just a dumb side effect.” Emma replied, getting lost in the chocolate whirlpool of Regina’s eyes.

 

“Well, that’s certainly good to hear. Have you thought of any names yet?”

 

“No, not yet. Like I said, I want the name to be meaningful and of significance, problem is I don’t have anyone influential in my life – just a whole host of people who didn’t love me, and that list includes my parents. Kid’s probably going to end up being named after some author.” Emma replied, rubbing her belly.

 

“If I ever have a child, I’d want to name them after my late father.” Regina trailed off, looking down at the table. “His name was Henry. He was, and still is in many ways, the most influential person in my life. I was his lifeline, his little princess who he loved with all of his being. He taught me how to write, how to do sums, and how to speak Spanish. That was our thing, our ‘secret language’, one that mother couldn’t understand. He was very special to me, my daddy, and he always will be.” A lone tear fell from Regina’s eye then, carving a river into her skin, down her cheek.

 

Slowly, giving Regina the time and space to back away, Emma reached across the table and cupped her cheek gently. “He sounds like a good man. I think I would’ve liked him.” The blonde almost whispered, wiping away the stray tear with the pad of her thumb.

 

Regina smiled at that, carefully grasping Emma’s hand in hers and lowering it back down onto the table. Once Regina had regained her composure, Emma began to speak.

“How are you?”

 

“Right now? I’m feeling better. If you mean in general, though, I’m all right. A little tired and rundown from work maybe, but all right overall.”

 

“That’s good.” Emma replied, smoothing her thumb over Regina’s hand, which was still clasping hers.

 

“I sent you another letter two days ago.” Regina started. “I put in the information I printed off for you from before plus a few more goodies.”

 

“Regina, you didn’t have to.” Emma blushed slightly, and lowered her head in a poor attempt to hide it.

 

“You need that stuff more than I do, Emma. Besides, I have no use for it.”

 

“Thank you. When do you think the letter will get here?”

 

“I’m not sure. I sent it in first class, though, so it should be sometime fairly soon.” Regina answered.

 

“First class, Regina, that’s _expensive_.” Emma hissed.

 

“Relax yourself, dear.”

 

“I promise, I’ll repay you.” Emma replied, face set in stone.

 

“Emma,” Regina grasped Emma’s other hand firmly, so that she was now holding both of Emma’s hands in her own. “You are my friend, I enjoy sending you letters, and I _want_ to send you letters. There is no need whatsoever to pay me back. It is my choice to send you letters, and I could stop at anytime, but I don’t because I lov-“

 

“Five minute warning,” A nearby prison guard cut Regina off. “Start saying your goodbyes.”

 

Regina looked away from Emma’s inquisitive gaze.

 

 _Was she going to say she loved me?_ That question would remain with Emma forever, even now, Regina had never told her what she was going to say that day.

 

Once again, Emma reached up and held Regina’s cheek in her palm, turning the woman to face her. “When can I see you again?”

 

“I’m not sure, Emma.” Regina admitted, letting her cheek rest in Emma’s smooth hand. “Call me tomorrow at noon, that way it’ll give me some time to check out my schedule.”

 

“Alright, tomorrow at noon.” Emma agreed, attempting to pull her hand away.

 

Regina grabbed Emma’s hand as she tried to pull away. “Okay?” She asked.

 

“Okay.” Emma agreed, squeezing Regina’s hand once firmly.

 

Standing up, and brushing invisible creases from her trousers, Regina smoothed down her hair and straightened up. “Very well.” She mused, not knowing what to say.

 

Taking Regina’s hand in hers this time, Emma stood and stepped closer to her. “May I?” She heard Regina ask.

 

“Yes.” Emma breathed, standing as still as a statuette as Regina placed her hand upon her bump.

 

As Regina’s hand landed gently on her belly, Emma felt an intense warmth rise up inside her. This was it. _This_ was what she wanted. Smiling timidly up at Emma, Regina kneeled down and began moving her palm in small circles. “Hello there,” She cooed. “I’m Regina, one of your mommies friends.”

 

Emma smiled down at the sight before her, as she felt two kicks, one after the other, from inside her belly. “He likes you.” She told Regina.

 

“Times up!” The booming voice of the guard once again filled the room.

 

“Goodbye, _nene,_ look after your mother for me.” The baby kicked once more, before Regina stood up and faced Emma.

 

Suddenly, Regina pulled Emma into a heartfelt hug. “Goodbye, Emma.”

 

“Goodbye, Regina.” Emma replied, nuzzling her nose against Regina’s apple-scented hair before letting her go.

 

Regina turned back and looked over her shoulder, smiling at Emma, before exiting the room.

 

“And then she was gone.” Emma said to herself, turning around and heading back to her cell.

 

* * *

 

“So, how’d it go?” Kelsey asked, as soon as Emma returned to their cell.

 

“It was really great, Kye. She’s breath taking, absolutely beautiful.” Emma sat down, her mind dwelling on Regina.

 

“What did you guys talk about, anything interesting?”

 

“Well,” Emma began, lying back on her bed. “We talked about baby names at first, and then she told me about her late father, saying that if she ever had a kid she would name them after him.”

 

“That’s cute.” Kelsey smiled. “If I ever have a kid I’ll probably end up naming them after a celebrity or something.”

 

“She said that she sent me another letter too, I got upset when she told me she’d sent it with first class. I mean, that shit’s _expensive_. Regina sent me some other stuff too, some information about pregnancy that I’d asked for, and she also mentioned that she’d added ‘a few more goodies’ to the package too.”

 

“What do you think it is?” Kelsey mused. “A new book? A DVD? Some clothes for the kid?”

 

“I have no idea.” Emma replied.

 

The blonde had opted to leave out the part where Regina almost admitted that she loved her, for now at least. Besides, Emma didn’t even know if that’s what she was going to say. Regina might have said how much she loves corresponding with Emma, or how much she loved being Emma’s friend. It was confusing, and Emma certainly did not want to jump the gun; especially now, since she was only just figuring out where she stood with Regina. Emma loved her, yes, but did Regina love Emma back? _Probably not_ , Emma thought.

 

“Coming to get some supper?” Emma asked her friend, standing up from her bed.

 

“Right behind you.” Kelsey said, following Emma from the room.

 

* * *

 

“Mr Macintosh, are you sure you’re not free at any other time?” Regina questioned, down the phone.

 

It was now Thursday, and Regina was currently having a very ‘heated exchange’ with a building contractor from out of town. Regina wanted to move their meeting to next Tuesday rather than it being on the Monday. Mr Macintosh, however, was having none of it; claiming that he is a very busy man and the only time he is free to attend the meeting is on Monday afternoon.

 

“Yes, Madam Mayor. I’m sure.” The man spoke in a sharp tone.

 

Regina sighed, rubbing circles on her temple with her free hand. “Very well then,” She conceded. “I’ll see you on Monday afternoon for our meeting, Mr Macintosh.”

 

“Very good, see you on Monday, Mayor Mills.” Mr Macintosh said, his voice seeping with pride at winning Regina over.

 

Angrily, Regina hung up and slammed the phone back down on the receiver. “ _Fuck!”_

It was a very rare occurrence, seeing the usually composed and put together Mayor Mills cursing. She hadn’t swore at all when she was younger, not even saying things such as ‘hell’, her mother wouldn’t have approved of that. Regina had started learning curse words when she met Daniel; He taught her nearly all of the curse words in her vocabulary today. Some people thought he was a bad influence on her, which Regina supposed he was, but they loved each other and at the time that’s all that mattered.

 

Regina was angry now, though. Normally she would keep all of her anger from the day cooped up inside, only to be fully unleashed when she arrived back home. Today was much different, however. In desperation almost, Regina had rushed to move around clients and free up some space in her schedule. Mr Macintosh was her last hope (moving the meeting to Tuesday would mean that she got to see Emma again on Monday), but seeing as though that had fallen through, Regina would now not be able to see Emma until Tuesday.

 

A sudden succession of shrill rings from Regina’s mobile phone cut through the silence in the office. Slightly startled, Regina picked up her phone hesitantly, without looking at the number displayed on the screen.

 

She was met with the sound of an automated voice; an automated voice she had began to grow accustomed to over the past few days. “An inmate from Massachusetts Correctional Institution is attempting to contact you. Press 1 to accept, or press 2 to decline.”

 

The corners of her mouth turned upwards as Regina smiled excitedly, pressing the number 1 on her screen, _it was Emma_.

 

“Hello, Emma.” Regina said, shyly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

 

“Hey, Regina. How you doing?”

 

“Not very good, I’m afraid.” Regina answered, grimly reminiscing of her earlier phone call with a certain Mr Macintosh.

 

“Why not? What’s wrong?” Emma asked, as a wave of concern brushed over her.

 

“All day today I’ve been on the phone, trying to reschedule meetings and whatnot in order to take some time out to come and visit you.” Regina sighed. “The earliest I can make it is next Tuesday afternoon.”

 

“That’s okay, Regina. You don’t have to do all this just for me.” Emma felt guilty, taking up a whole mighty chunk of Regina’s day.

 

“Emma, I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t want to see you, if I didn’t want to spend time with you.”

 

“That’s really kind of you, Regina. And I’m sorry,” Emma apologized for her earlier words. “I guess, I’m just not used to people sticking around when things go bad. I’ve never known much love in my life, but I promise I’ll try my best to understand.”

 

“Thank you, Emma. You know I’m always here for you. Though, you know you can talk to…Archie, was it? I believe he can be of more help than me.”

 

“Yeah, it’s Archie.” Emma replied. “I’ve talked about this with him before, I’m a little better now, since we’ve had some sessions and stuff about it. I mean, I was a total train wreck when I first came here. I’d just found out I was pregnant and was panicking, my boyfriend had dumped me and left me behind to take the fall for what he did, and I’d just been sentenced to time in prison. I was in a very bad place, Regina.”

 

“Well, I’m certainly glad that Archie’s been helping you along. I’m sorry about everything you’ve been through, also. I know it’s not my fault in any way, shape, or form and I know you don’t want my pity, and please believe me when I say I don’t pity you, I-I just wish I could’ve found you earlier.” Regina sighed.

 

“I know you do. So do I.” Emma digressed, smiling sorrowfully.

 

“Would you mind if I asked what you are actually in prison for? I know it’s very private, and you don’t have-“

 

Emma cut Regina off. “No, no it’s alright. I know I can tell you anything.”

 

“Thank you.” Regina breathed. “But please stop if it’s too much for you.”

 

Inhaling slowly, the blonde spoke quietly down the phone. “My boyfriend at the time, Neal, he stole some watches before we met. I’ve stolen before, too. Not expensive watches or anything like that, but basic supplies you know food, water, clothes. Anyway, he told me about the watches later, and said that he’d hid them in a locker inside of a subway station. He told me that he’d go and get them and sell them for a ton of money, and then we could move to our dream home in our dream city: Tallahassee. When he went to get the watches, he told me to wait for him nearby in an alleyway.”

 

“I waited, and waited there for a few hours until someone showed up, but instead of Neal, it was the police. The evidence they presented during my trial was a silver watch that I was wearing at the time of my arrest. Neal had given it to me previously; it was one of the stolen ones. And so, they blamed me for stealing the watches and sent me down. Neither Neal or the watches have been seen since.”

 

“Oh, Emma I-“ Regina started.

 

“Please don’t say you’re sorry.” Emma almost whispered. “I know that you feel sorry for me, Regina. But please, just, it’s painful to talk about.”

 

“It’s alright, Emma. You’re okay.” Regina’s voice soothed Emma considerably. “Thank you for trusting me, and telling me this.”

 

“It’s no problem.” Emma replied, sounding tired.

 

“I’m going to go now, Emma.” Regina told her. “Please go have a hot shower, and have a nice rest afterwards.”

 

“When can I call you again?”

 

“I’m free every afternoon between 12pm and 1pm, that’s my lunch break. Feel free to call me then.”

 

“Okay, I will.” Emma promised. “Bye, Regina.”

 

“Goodbye, Emma.”

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Penny for your thoughts, Em?” Kelsey asked, as the two women entered the bathroom together.

 

“Sorry, I’m just tired. I need to start looking after myself, especially now that the kid is due soon.”

 

“Just keep at it, long and relaxing showers, a healthy diet, and plenty of sleep should help.” Kelsey advised.

 

Emma sat down on the bench in the middle of the room. “I just don’t know what to do.” She spoke in a hushed tone.

 

“With what?” Kelsey asked, sitting down next to her friend.

 

“Well for one there’s Regina, I have no clue what to do at all. Should I tell her that I like her? Should I not? And then there’s the kid. He’s going to be born soon and Kye, I’m only allowed 24 hours with him after he’s born before they take him away. I don’t have any family on the outside – he’ll be put into the system unless I can bag an early release.” Emma put her head in her hands. “I don’t want to lose him.” She said solemnly.

 

“What about Regina?”

 

“What about her?”

 

“Well, could you not ask her to take care of the kid? Just until you get out of here I mean, it’ll only be for a few months.” Kelsey suggested.

 

“No.” Emma dismissed her friend’s suggestion. “Regina is the Mayor of an entire town, she’s a very busy person and she has her own life to worry about never mind a new baby. Besides, I could never ask her to do something like that. I-I would feel guilty of placing such a huge burden on her.”

 

“Don’t worry, Em.” Kelsey shushed, rubbing her friend’s back. “We’ll figure something out before the time comes.”

 

Emma looked up and stared at the rising steam from the showers. “I hope you’re right.”

 

* * *

 

Later that afternoon, Emma went to visit Archie. Perhaps he would have an idea about what she could do after she had given birth.

 

“Hey Archie, are you free?” Emma asked, knocking on the door.

 

“Of course, Emma. Come in! Come in!” Emma opened the door and was ushered into a seat by Archie.

 

After sitting down himself, Archie began. “So what can I do for you today, Emma?”

 

“I’ve just been wondering, about when I have the baby. I know the rules of course, and I know that I only get 24 hours with him.” Emma paused and took a breath. “As you know, I don’t have any family outside of here, which means that I’ll be forced to give him away. I don’t want to give him up. He’ll only be put into the system and, I’m speaking from experience, it’s not very nice to get chucked around, passed from family to family, never belonging anywhere. So, I was wondering if it would be possible to maybe secure an early release?”

 

“Well, I…It may well be possible to secure an early release for you – but it will take time. Your son is due soon, yes?” Emma nodded. “Applying and getting a response back regarding your potential early release could take months, and by that time you’ll be due for release anyway.”

 

Emma sighed, sinking down in her chair. “So there’s nothing I can do then? I have to give him up?”

 

“Emma,” Archie moved closer and put a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “I believe that by giving him up for adoption, you will be giving him his best chance.”

 

Emma looked down at her feet, tears beginning to pour from her eyes, and nodded meekly. _It’s too late_ , she thought, _I’ve left it too late_.

 

“Nevertheless, I will ask around and see if any of my colleagues can do anything to help you. Perhaps a recommendation of some kind?” Archie reassured.

 

Emma nodded again, too tired to think or feel. “Thanks, Doc.” She said, before standing and leaving, head still lowered towards the floor.

 

* * *

 

“There’s nothing I can do, Kye.” Emma rolled over in bed, facing her friend, later that evening.

 

“Don’t worry, Em, something will come up.”

 

Emma scoffed loudly. “Like what? My fairy godmother is going to suddenly appear and cast a spell, magically freeing me and my unborn son from the confines of this prison? Because I highly doubt _that_.”

 

Emma’s voice was thick with sarcasm. Meanwhile, Kelsey just laughed. “Emma, listen to me. We will find a way to do something, I don’t know what, but we will – I promise.”

 

“How can you promise something like that? Lets just face it, my son is going to spent a full 24 hours with his rightful mother before he is snatched away from me and put into the system, where he will be lost to me forever and we’ll never see each other ever again. Kapeesh?” Emma turned around in her bed, facing the wall.

 

“This is just the hormones talking.” Kelsey decided. “Hey, you should really read up on the tell-tale signs of going into labour, maybe sarcasm is a side effect.”

 

“I’m pretty sure I’d know if I was in labour, Kye.” Emma said from the other side of the room.

 

“And how’s that?” Kelsey asked, taking some joy from teasing Emma.

 

“Well, for starters I’d have contractions.” Emma launched a pillow over towards Kelsey. “Idiot.”

 

Kelsey caught the pillow in her hands. “Goodnight, princess, maybe your fairy godmother will visit you tomorrow.” She teased.

 

Emma sighed, burying her head in her pillow. “ _Goodnight_.”

 

* * *

 

Opening her eyes and yawning, Emma sat up and checked the time. The analogue clock on the wall of the cell read 6AM. Groaning, she rubbed her eyes tiredly. These early morning wakeups were getting worse day by day, and were sometimes accompanied by pain. But this morning, however, Emma had awoken due to an audible ‘pop’ that had sounded in the room.

 

“What was that noise?” Kelsey groaned from the other side of the room, turning to face Emma.

“I don’t know, I thought-“ Emma was cut of by a short but sharp pain in her abdomen. Feeling sick, she bent forwards, cradling her belly.

 

“Emma!” Kelsey was suddenly wide-awake, springing out of the bed and making her way towards her friend. “What’s wrong?”

 

“I-It’s the pain, in my belly, something’s wrong!” Emma cried, tears springing to her eyes as another wave of pain washed over her.

 

“Let me see.” Kelsey muttered, pulling back the bed sheets. “Oh my god!”

 

“What, what is it?” Emma exclaimed, following Kelsey’s line of sight to the bed sheets underneath her.

 

Emma’s panties and inner thighs were soaked with a clear fluid, as was the mattress topper and duvet. “Your water’s broken!” Kelsey cried. “I’ll go get someone!”

 

Quickly, Kelsey ran towards the bars of the cell, shouting. Her desperate cries for help masked the sound of Emma’s heart-wrenching sob. This wasn’t happening, it just couldn’t, not _now_. Emma was expecting to have another few more days at least in order to prepare for the birth. She wanted to work through everything, to find a way that she could be with her son for more than 24 hours. And there she was, in the starting stages of labour, as the clock began to count down to the moment where she would have to give up her only child.

 

As two prison guards rushed over and opened up the cell, Kelsey held Emma’s hand reassuringly as she hurriedly relayed what had happened to the guards. “We need to get her to the hospital.” One of the guards declared, the other nodded and went to fetch a wheelchair.

 

Emma knew what was going to happen, she knew the rules. Prisoners had to give birth alone, with no friends or family members allowed in with them, the only people present were a couple of watchful guards, a doctor or nurse, and the prisoner’s healthcare consultant/councillor.

 

As the other guard entered the cell with a wheelchair, Kelsey helped Emma slowly swing her legs over the side of the bed, and supported most of her weight as the blonde waddled towards the wheelchair. Sitting (or rather, falling) into the wheelchair, Emma gripped Kelsey’s hand, squeezing it gently. “You’ve been such a big help, Kye.” Emma said. “I can’t thank you enough.”

 

“Don’t mention it, Em. Just focus on the kid, ignore the distractions and just focus on giving birth to your healthy baby boy.”

 

“Okay.” Emma mumbled, tearfully.

 

The pair shared one last, sad smile before Emma was wheeled out of the room by the guards. “Goodbye, Kye.”

 

* * *

 

Regina awoke in the early morning to the familiar disturbance of her next-door neighbour’s cat, Wilbur, climbing up one of her trees. Groaning as she got out of her warm bed, Regina headed over to her window and opened the deadbolt. “Shoo! Shoo!” She exclaimed, trying to be as quiet as she could. The cat’s eyes met hers and they continued to stare at one another, before the cat finally bowed it’s head and conceded. “And don’t come back again!” Regina told it, watching it saunter away.

 

Returning to her bed, Regina caught a glimpse of a notification on her phone. Picking it up, Regina saw that it was a notification for a ‘missed call’ from an unknown caller approximately 1 hour ago. _Now who would be calling me at 6AM_? Regina wondered. As no one sprung to mind, Regina decided to start her day.

 

After having a quick shower and brushing her hair, Regina got dressed and headed out into the hallway, towards the stairs. As she began to walk down the stairs, Regina heard the noise of her phone ringing. Rushing back up, Regina ran back into her bedroom and answered. “Hello?”

 

“Good morning, is this Regina Mills speaking?” The operator asked.

 

“It is. May I ask who’s calling?”

 

“I’m calling on behalf of Massachusetts Correctional Institution. You are Miss Emma Swan’s emergency contact, yes?”

 

“That is correct. Is something the matter? Is Emma okay?”

 

“Miss Swan has gone into labour with her child; she is currently being transferred to the _Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital_ in Plymouth.”

 

“Oh my god, is she alright?” Regina asked, beginning to hurriedly gather her things.

 

“Miss Swan is doing fine, Miss Mills. Once the baby is born, you may be allowed to visit.”

 

“May be allowed to visit?” Regina questioned.

 

“Ultimately, that decision is for the hospital staff to make. They usually allow immediate family and relatives to visit.”

 

“Emma has no family.” Regina said sadly. “I’m all she has.”

 

“As I said before ma’am, please take it up with the staff at the hospital. Have a nice day.” And with that the line went dead.

 

Immediately, Regina called her secretary. “Mia, please cancel all of my appointments for today. It’s an emergency.”

 

“Yes, of course, Madam Mayor. Right away.” Mia replied, confidently.

 

“Thank you, dear.”

 

Hanging up, Regina practically ran down the stairs. Slipping on her shoes and grabbing her purse and keys, the mayor quickly headed out the front door. She needed to get to Emma.

 

* * *

 

It had been two hours since Emma’s water had broken, and she was already well and truly exhausted. Her forehead was shiny with perspiration and sweat was running down her back and shoulders. Her contractions were about 5 minutes apart, and were gradually getting more painful.

 

“Hello Emma, my name is Doctor Anita Marcus. I’m here today to help you deliver your baby.” A dark-skinned woman with long brown hair entered the room.

 

Emma fought through the pain. “Hi.” She managed.

 

“First things first, do not fight the pain – that will just make it even more painful. Embrace it, ride along with it until your son is ready to be born.

 

“Okay.” Emma answered, taking a deep breath. Upon her arrival at the hospital, she had refused to have an epidural, as she wanted a ‘natural’ birth, something she was beginning to regret.

 

“Please sit up for me, and bend your knees so that I may examine you, Emma.” The nurse spoke kindly, placing a pair of tight rubbery gloves on her hands.

 

Emma complied with the nurse, and cringed as she began to examine her. Emma had never been one to get too attached, she didn’t like people touching her, nor did she like touching other people.

 

“Looks like you’re 4cm dilated.” Anita told her, removing her rubber gloves and tossing them into the bin at the bottom of the hospital bed. “This means that you’re entering the active labour stage. In active labour, the nature of your contractions change, with pain becoming less concentrated in the lower abdomen, instead starting higher in the abdomen and moving down toward the pelvis and lower back as your baby is pushed down.”

 

Emma nodded, remembering reading something about active labour in one of the books in the prison library. “So how long will it take to get from the active labour to the birth?”

 

Anita sat down next to Emma, holding her hand as another painful contraction hit. “It varies from person to person. For first labours, 90 per cent of women have a cervical dilation of about 1 cm per hour, whereas labour moves faster in subsequent births. But, as I said, it’s different for everyone.”

 

As the pain from the previous contraction eased back to a dull ache, Emma sighed. She had to go through this for another _six freaking hours_? For fucks sake.

 

 _I’m never having another one_ , Emma mentally noted, grimacing.

 

* * *

 

No matter how tired she was, Regina never stopped for a break. She had made it to the hospital in 4 and a half hours, record time compared to her previous excursions to visit Emma. The only thing on her mind right now was Emma, and the fact that she had to get to her as soon as she possibly could.

 

Getting out of her car and grabbing her purse and coat hurriedly, Regina practically marched through the doors of the hospital. Strutting over to the reception desk, her head held high, Regina did her best to exude a powerful demeanour.

 

Clearing her throat, alerting the woman at the desk to her presence, Regina began to speak. “I’m here to see Emma Swan. Which room is she in?”

 

“Emma Swan.” The woman muttered, turning to her computer and typing something in. “Uh, Miss…?”

 

“Mills.” Regina told her curtly, her chin tilted upwards.

 

“Well, Miss Mills, I’m sorry. As Emma is an inmate at a federal prison, she is not permitted to have visitors until after the birth.”

 

“This is outrageous! Who on earth makes these _stupid_ rules?” Regina exclaimed, clenching her fists.

 

“I am truly sorry, Miss Mills. You may wait in the waiting area until you are permitted to see Emma.”

 

Regina sighed, defeated. “Can you at least just tell me how she’s doing?”

 

The receptionist’s expression softened and she smiled. “Of course.” She began typing on her computer again before turning back towards Regina. “Miss Swan’s labour is progressing swiftly. I can tell you that she is nearing the final stages, and that both mother and child are doing fine.”

 

“Thank you.” Regina told the woman before turning and sitting down on a chair opposite the receptionist’s desk. The news about Emma had succeeded at easing her worries, at least just a little bit. For if Emma was entering the final stages of her labour, that meant the baby would be here very soon, and that Regina would be allowed to go through and see them both.

 

“Excuse me! Excuse me!” A short man with red-coloured hair rushed through the entrance and into the waiting room of the hospital. He had small beads of sweat running down his forehead and his circular spectacles were close to falling from their perch on his nose. In short, he looked very dishevelled.

 

 _I wonder why he’s in such a rush_ , Regina mused, watching the man from her seat.

 

“Which room is Emma Swan in? I’m her counsellor.” At the mention of Emma’s name Regina instantly perked up.

 

“Right through those doors,” The receptionist pointed to a pair of doors at the other side of the room. “Second room on the left.”

 

And at this new revelation, Regina stood up from her seat and walked over to the reception desk. “Excuse me?” She questioned. “Why is this man allowed in and I’m not?”

 

“Who are you, might I ask?” The man in question asked.

 

“I’m Regina Mills, and you are?”

 

“Dr Archibald Hopper, but please call me Archie.”

 

“Archie?” Regina remembered Emma mentioning him. “You’re Emma’s councillor?”

 

“Yes. And you are her new pen pal who I’ve heard so much about?”

 

“That is correct, yes.” Regina nodded. “But might I ask how you are allowed in to see Emma, and I am not?”

 

“Prison rules and regulations are very strict. They state that at least two guards must be present in the room at all times during an inmate’s birthing process, and that only one medical professional as well as a prison birthing officer or councillor be the only other people in the room.” Archie recited, wiping his forehead with his sleeve.

 

“That’s horrible.” Regina breathed out. She’d been so foolish, she’d never known what Emma would have to go through, and all on her own.

 

“It gets worse too.” Archie grimaced. “The law of the state has issued that women are only allowed to spend up to 24 hours with their children, before they are taken away and either adopted by a relative or put into the foster system.”

 

Regina’s jaw almost hit the floor as the revelation hit her. “But…Emma doesn’t have any relatives.”

 

“Exactly, which means that the child will be put into the foster care system.”

 

It was then that Regina made a conscious decision, a decision, which would change her life forever.

 

“ _No_. I’ll do it, I’ll take him!” Regina told Archie.

 

Archie gripped Regina’s shoulders. “Regina, do you understand what you’re undertaking here? Are you sure your even ready for something like this?”

 

“Yes, Yes I’m sure. I’ll do absolutely anything to help Emma.” Regina told him, face set in stone.

 

Archie smiled kindly. “Alright-y then. I better get in there.”

 

Regina nodded to him and turned to let him past her. “As soon as there is any news, please tell me.”

 

Archie agreed. “Of course, you’ll be the first to know.”

 

As she watched Archie retreat through the doors to the maternity ward, she almost collapsed into her seat.

 

 _Oh my god_. In less than 24 hours, she was going to be a _mother_. Regina Mills was going to be a mother to a wonderful son – and, at that, the son of the woman she loved.

 

* * *

 

“Archie!” Emma heaved, coming down from another contraction. “You made it!”

 

“Yes, I did.” He smiled, immediately standing by her side, her hand firmly in his grasp.

 

“Okay, Emma, get ready to push!” The nurse warned.

 

“I’m right here, Emma. Squeeze my hand!” Archie cried from beside her.

 

“Push!” Anita called.

 

Emma did so, her insides twisting and coiling and burning all at once, all the while holding onto Archie’s hand for dear life.

 

“And again!” Anita cried. Emma felt like she was being stretched in two. _God, I hope I don’t need stiches after this_ , she thought bitterly.

 

“Push again, Emma! Only a few more to go!”

 

Emma cried out, trying desperately to not writhe on the bed in pain.

 

“I can see the head!” Archie told her. “He has a beautiful head of brown hair.”

 

Emma smiled weakly, pushing with all of her might…until the cries of a newborn infant filled the room.

 

“Well done, Emma. Well done!” Archie cheered, still holding onto the blonde’s hand. Emma collapsed onto the hospital bed, hair sticking to her forehead, utterly exhausted from the lengthy ordeal.

 

“Here you are, Emma.” The nurse handed her the baby. “You have a healthy son, weighing 8lbs 8oz.”

 

Emma used her remaining strength to sit up in the bed, looking down into the brilliant blue eyes of her son. “Hey, little guy.” She whispered, holding his tiny hand around her finger.

 

“He’s beautiful,” Archie complemented. “Does he have a name?”

 

“Henry. His name is Henry.” Emma told him, mesmerised by the immense charm of her gorgeous baby boy.

 

_Kid, you’re going to break some hearts one day._

* * *

 

Regina instantly stood from her seat, as Archie re-entered the waiting area. “Is the baby here? Is Emma alright?”

 

Archie smiled kindly at her, and gestured towards the doors he had just came through. “Why don’t you go see for yourself?”

 

Regina returned the smile and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

 

Taking a deep breath as she walked into the maternity unit, Regina prepared herself. What for? She wasn’t sure. But whatever it was, she was ready to face it.

 

Pushing open the second door on the left, Regina was left mesmerised by the sight in front of her. Emma, her beautiful Emma, sat upright on the hospital bed, cradling a beautiful baby boy in her arms.

 

“Hi, stranger.” Regina spoke with a tender tone.

 

Emma looked over to her and their eyes met. In an intense stare, a clash of ice and fire, wind and sea, Emma and Regina stared into the endless pools of one another’s eyes, lost amidst their pure love and desire for each other.

 

“Regina.” Emma let out a breath that she hadn’t known she was holding. “Come and meet my son.”

 

Without hesitation, Regina walked over to Emma and stood by the side of the bed. “Emma, he’s beautiful.” She breathed, reaching out to run a finger along one of his chubby cheeks. At that, the boy awoke from his slumber, drawing Regina in with deep blue eyes, which were identical to his mothers. “Hello, little prince.”

 

The boy giggled at that, his first laugh, and grabbed hold of Regina’s finger. “What’s his name?” The brunette asked.

 

Emma took a deep breath. “His name is Henry.”

 

Regina looked up at that; her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Emma…”

 

“Shhh,” Emma told her, lifting her head up so she could rest her forehead against Regina’s. “I did it because I wanted to.”

 

Regina smiled tearfully. “Thank you.” She breathed.

 

The pair sat like that for a while, watching as Henry played with Regina’s hand before eventually closing his eyes and drifting back off to sleep.

 

“Emma,” Regina broke the silence. “You should sleep too, you look exhausted.”

 

“No, I only have 24 hours with him,” Emma gestured towards Henry. “And I’m not wasting a single minute.”

 

“You may only have 24 hours with him, but I can promise you that he will be a part of your life forever.” Regina spoke kindly.

 

“What are you saying?” Emma asked, _no it couldn’t be_.

 

“I had a discussion with Archie outside. I’ve decided to adopt Henry. That is, if you’re alright with it?”

 

Emma looked up at her then, her mouth agape and her eyes; those _damn_ gorgeous blue eyes, full of love. “Regina, yes! That’s amazing! But, are you sure? I wouldn’t want you to take him if you weren’t ready.”

 

“I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life.” Regina answered without hesitation, her visage serious.

 

“You’ll let me see him?” Emma asked, her eyes brimming with tears.

 

“Of course I will, Emma. You know I would never want you two to be separated, that’s why I made the decision to adopt him.”

 

Emma moved her head closer to Regina. The brunette stood by the bed frozen, from both fear and excitement. Emma leaned closer, so their foreheads rested against each other’s. They closed their eyes, both their breaths became shallow.

 

“Thank you.” Emma says, the sound barely more than a whisper.

 

“For what?” Regina replies, voice low and husky.

 

“For being you.” Emma answered, voice wavering, exhilarated from the tension between them.

 

Emma gently leaned in and kissed Regina’s lips, their mouths fitting together perfectly, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. They pulled apart slowly and took shaky, shallow breaths. Unable to control herself anymore, Regina held Emma’s head in her hands and pulled her into a fiery and passionate kiss. Emma’s hands worked their way around Regina’s body, skimming down her sides and over her shapely hips, feeling every crevice, each line along her perfect physique.

 

Pulling apart, foreheads resting together and eyes still closed, both women smiled shyly.

 

Opening her eyes, Regina let out a nervous breath. “I love you.”

 

Emma’s eyes opened, and she pulled back slightly. Tucking a stray hair behind Regina’s ear, Emma replied, “I love you too.” Before once more capturing the brunette’s lips.

 

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The other participants of the Swan Queen Supernova and I have spent months creating these fics and art for you to enjoy - it would be amazing if you commented to tell us what you liked! The SQSupernova team is also sponsoring a contest for commenters, and you can find out more [here](http://sqsupernova.tumblr.com/post/164792441694/announcing-the-sqsn-comments-contest-a-reward-for)!


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